A biography for Jimi Manuwahasn’t been written yet.
“I'm a knockout artist.”
“I can't think of any heavyweights that would match up well with me. They're all too big.”
“I've knocked out a lot of people so I'm not going to cry about being stopped, it's part of the game and I can accept that.”
“I've got big respect for Corey Anderson. He's a great fighter, he poses a big threat.”
“We used to go to the fairground, and there's that punchable thing that measures your power. It was from one of those that I knew I could punch.”
“I always predict a knockout. That's what I go for, I hit to hurt.”
“But when you're cheating against your fellow athletes, that's something I can't forgive.”
“I always like to keep busy, I always say if you're not injured then you should fight.”
“And I took to fighting very well. I'm a fast learner, and I needed to learn quickly. I knew this was what I wanted to do and I put everything I had into it.”
“I can definitely get the belt. It's something I always wake up believing every time I train.”
“Now I've got near the top, I can see the games that people play. I thought everyone wanted to fight the best, and earn title shots, but it's not like that.”
“I don't know anything about CM Punk. I'd never even heard of him until he was mentioned in UFC. I wouldn't know him if I walked past him in the street, I don't know... he might be a good wrestler but there are people in the UFC who are just good wrestlers.”
“I like exciting fighters - Anthony Pettis, Jose Aldo. I like all the great fighters, Cain Velasquez, all the champions. They're so good at what they do. I just admire people who are good at what they do and people you can watch and learn from.”
“I'm not bothered about where I'm ranked in the world. I'm just worried about fighting the best people in the world and being a natural, original champion.”
“I just love putting on a show for my fans.”
“On fight day, I usually have peanut butter and porridge in the morning; bananas and a nice fruit salad. Then, as the day goes on, I'll have some carbs.”
“At school, I was a lot more advanced compared to the other kids but I didn't like authority and was kicked out for fighting.”
“I enjoy healthy foods but I'm not scared to have a cheat meal or cheat day, have a burger or whatever.”
“My diet is just the normal stuff that you know is healthy - nice, clean food - meats, vegetables, fresh juices. I don't have too many sauces, I just like really plain chicken, broccoli: all clean stuff.”
“Fighting isn't an ordinary career, so you have to allow your body time to recover in between training sessions.”