The Week in Quotes, November 29th - December 5th

WILL THE REAL FRANK MIR PLEASE STAND UP?

"I look up to Nogueira." - UFC Heavyweight Frank Mir, on his opponent at UFC 92, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.  What happened to the uber-douche we saw on the Ultimate Fighter? (CBS Sportsline)

"I can't. I have to train year-round." - Mir, commenting on his inability to stay in shape in a more traditional boxing-style traditional regime.

"It wasn't about pain, it wasn't my chin, it was the fact I knew I had a very limited gas tank." - Mir, a self-aware look at his losses in his career.

"I can't imagine that in over 35 fights Nogueira has had -- and no one has finished him -- that I'm going to be the one to do it." - Mir, continuing the honesty.

"He's like a marathon runner." - Mir, on Nogueira's pacing.

"For me to say I have an edge there, I don't see where." - Mir, on where he sees the jiu-jitsu aspect of the fight.

"For what I've done in the ring, I think he's better." - Mir, on the standup game.

TALES FROM THE PIT

"Yeah, you learn something new wherever you train. He's always cross-trained and had people come in. He will definitely learn from Liborio and Matt." - Pit head trainer John Hackleman, on Chuck Liddell's decision to do some training at American Top Team. (Fighters Only)

"As far as names, I can't really talk about names. I would rather fight Randy I guess because of the relationship with Silva and his management, but I don't see either fight being productive for anybody involved." - Hackleman, on rumored fights with Randy Couture and Anderson Silva.

"Nobody has talked to me at all about Randy or Anderson Silva in any recent talks. I know there was talk of me fighting [Anderson] in February. That is definitely not true, I ‘m not fighting until March or April." - Chuck Liddell, on those same fights.  (Fighters Only)

"The rumour that me and Randy are fighting in June... no one has said a word to me and I don’t wait until June to fight." - Liddell

"People were like 'Are you going to retire now, is that it? Are you over?' but it wasn’t like I was out there getting beat up for three rounds." - Liddell

"I don’t want to be that guy that is too old in the ring, where everyone feels sorry for him because he just cant fight anymore and he is still going out there." - Liddell, translated, doesn't want to "De La Hoya" his career.

COMING OUT OF HIS SHELL

"As I keep winning, I will get the title shot." - UFC Light Heavyweight Lyoto Machida (Bloody Elbow)

"When the talent meets the opportunity: BOOM, new champion." - Machida, doing his best Ari Gold.

"Give me the job and I will get it done. Rampage, Couture, Liddell, Wanderlei, Shogun, I work hard to win and will keep winning." - Machida, I love a man with confidence.

"Who thought they would see Tito with his back on the floor?" - Machida

"If you don’t like it, sorry.  I always try to win. For some that is boring, I know, but I am beating the best in the world." - Machida, defending his fighting style.

"After my fights I do not have nothing on my face, no scratches, no bruises.  I am like a ghost they can not find me." - Machida, who should change his nickname to "Ghost Dragon."

FUTURE POUND-FOR-POUND KING?

"Machida has everything to be the next best pound for pound fighter in MMA." - UFC President Dana White, quelling the fears of hardcore fans everywhere. (Free Fight Videos)

LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD

"I consider it brutal and savage. The lobbying and money behind it has gotten so intense since then that I feel like David against Goliath." - New York Assemblyman Bob Reilly, destroying my faith in democracy. (Times Union)

"I'll express ignorance of this sport, but after Bob described what a vicious sport it was, it was voted down by everybody on the committee." - New York Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, how many other issues are being decided on ignorance?

GERMAN IMPRESSIONIST PORTRAIT OF DANA WHITE

"White, a short, round-headed man wearing a skin-tight shirt and belt with a skull-shaped buckle, is the president of the UFC. He is 39, a former bouncer and a bellhop at a Boston hotel. He was found guilty of assault and, because he refused to pay the fine, wound up in prison. He became a boxing trainer and fled from the Mafia to Las Vegas, where he had grown up, and opened a boxing gym. White now owns a Range Rover, a Ferrari and two Mercedes, but he still has difficulty saying three sentences without the word "fuck" in at least one of them." - Der Spiegel wrtier Maik Grossekathoefer, describing UFC President Dana White. (Der Spiegel)

THE DOWNFALL OF WESTERN MMA

"It started early on that I just didn't like Gary and that I didn't like him morally or ethically." - ICON Sport promoter T.J. Thompson, on former EliteXC head Gary Shaw. (CBS Sportsline)

"I didn't find him smart, I didn't find him engaging, (and) I didn't find him to be compelling. I am amazed that he's gotten where he's gotten." - Thompson, but what did you really think of him?

"The Bo Cantrell fight, there was a problem in that Bo didn't want to fight at the last minute and I believe he had to be paid a bonus just to go out and fight. But at that point his performance looked as if he didn't want to fight." - Thompson

"Uh, the stitches were beautiful!" - Thompson, on Ken Shamrock's mysterious prefight injury before his fight with Kimbo Slice.

PARTING SHOTS

"A few things were mentioned and if there ever was an offer I wouldn't mind having a go at it." - WBO Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli, on entering the world of MMA. (The Sun)

"By the way I view my relationship with Monte much like Darth Vader and Obi Wan.  I learned from the shadows.  I turned to the other side.  I called him out.  He acknowledged.  I grew my stable.  And now the student has surpassed the teacher in the present day.  Sure he has a history, but I have the future.  I out work, out travel, and out perform all other agents today.... period.  Which horse would you rather hook your horse up with today?" - MMA Superagent Ken Pavia, on colleague Monte Cox. (The Underground Forums)

"I can take a beating, but I thought they stopped it too early." - Manny Tapia, on his fight with WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres. (Sherdog)

"He’s a Hall of Famer. He’s a legend. To progress your career you always have to fight somebody like that." - Tim Sylvia, on the would be travesty that a fight with Ken Shamrock would be. (Sherdog)

"I don't want to talk about it right now." - Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, on the potentially scheduling conflict between Affliction: Day of Reckoning and Margarito/Mosely. (MMA Fanhouse)

"If this show was just about the training and the fights, the only people who’d watch it would be your hardcore fans." - Recent TUF alum Krzysztof Soszynski (FiveOuncesOfPain.com)

"It doesn't mean I'm completely happy with the contract stuff, but in order to continue to fight the best fighters in the world, you have to make sacrifices, and that's just what I did." - UFC Welterweight Jon Fitch, on contract carryover. (MMA Junkie)

“Let’s do it!" - UFC Co-Owner Lorenzo Fertitta, on bringing in Rickson Gracie. (FiveOuncesOfPain.com)