Tom Lawlor talks to the Boston Herald about his UFC 121 bout with Patrick Cote:

"This one's kind of do or die, I'm not even looking at it as him being a bigger fight. People always say a battle against themselves, `I'm not fighting against an opponent, I'm fighting against my own inner demons,' and everything else like that but this is a situation as a fighter for the first time I feel like that. It is more of a battle of me against myself and going out there showing I can do it, and basically not screw it up or give it away like I did my last two fights."

...

"On my phone I have a picture of me all beat up from my last fight. My girlfriend asks me, `Why is that on there?' and I say, `It's motivation.' It really motivates me to go out there. Everybody talks about me gassing out and this and that, but I swear I do cardio, I swear I do it. I'm motivated to show whoever it is I'm not going to die out in the ring and that I belong in the UFC."

Vitor Belfort talks to the Las Vegas Review Journal about his UFC 122 bout with Yushin Okami:

"I'm not worried at all about him. I'm not worried about anyone besides myself. I'm worried about me and working on myself every day to get in the best condition, because I know when I'm in my best condition, I'm trouble."

These fighters are grappling with what I think is one of the most interesting aspects of MMA: the most formidable opponent to be overcome is the self.