Was the last fight against Lyoto Machida your last fight in UFC? And will you continue to fight in another league?
It is 100 percent my last fight with UFC with Machida. And my career is going to move on, I think to do bigger and better things. I would like to sign with another company or start my own publishing company. I'm still fighting for another three or four more years—maybe longer.
If the UFC's Dana White were sitting here, what would you tell him?
Dana White made the biggest mistake of his career; he let one of the best fighters in UFC history get away. And you know why? He had a personal vendetta against me, and it's fine. I'm a businessman and a smart fighter, and I'm going to continue with my career. It won't be with the UFC, but it will be with someone else.
Now that you're a free agent, would you consider moving up to heavyweight and fight guys like Fedor or Randy Couture?
I think heavyweight is a possibility. People want to see me fight Kimbo on CBS—that can possibly happen. A fight against Fedor can possibly happen. I am always looking for great fights and the biggest fights out there.
What did you think of Kimbo's last match?
He's still a young guy, and has a lot to learn. But he's learning jujitsu, and he's learning to wrestle. He's learning all the things to become a well-rounded fighter, and I respect him for it. He's one of the guys who's being pushed in front of the company and being used to show the average fan what mixed martial arts is really about.
There are Internet rumors suggesting that you might return to wrestling with either the TNA or WWE. Any truth to that?
I have three years of competition left, and I want to compete. Wrestling has always intrigued me so much. I started my career fighting, and I want to finish my career fighting. Wrestling, maybe when I'm 40. Those guys don't compete at the same level we do, so it's a little different. I'm not looking for an easy way out.
 What inspired you to get into mixed martial arts?
My book tells the story of how I became a fighter. I wrestled in high school and college. When I was in college, I started training with Tank Abbott, who was a UFC fighter. At a meet in 1997, I stopped a guy in 22 seconds, and was intrigued by the notion of becoming a martial arts competitor. Within a year and a half, I became a world champion. So nothing was ever given to me. I have never given up fights.
MMA wasn't very big up until several years ago. What do you think got you up toward the top of the list?
I'm still on top of the list, and what got me there was that I'm charismatic and I speak my mind. I am not just a fighter; I'm a businessman. I promote very well. There are fans that love me (I love you guys!), and there are fans that hate me. I have the entertainment value of a professional wrestler, but I have the reality value of a professional boxer. In 10 to 15 years, it took martial arts what it took boxing 100 years to do, because of the athletes that compete in it.
If you could be involved in any other sport besides mixed martial arts, what would it be?
Professional wrestling. I have always been a fan of Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, and the Rock; and that's what got me into wrestling in high school. I walked in, and I was like, "Where is the ring at?" I didn't realize that collegiate wrestling was totally different from professional wrestling.
Who would win a fight: you or Hulk Hogan?
Let's think about that for like half a second—me! But I don't want to beat up Hulk Hogan. I love him, man. He has done so much for me.
Your battles with Ken Shamrock were legendary, arguably heralding a new era for MMA. Do you feel that the UFC is now moving beyond your skill set? If so, how do you plan on keeping up?
Now that I'm getting older, there are so many different levels of athletes, but it is just making me better. I am still young—I'm 33. I still have three or four more years of competition. I fought a guy who was undefeated my last fight, and he ran away from me—he's a jujitsu black belt, and I almost submitted him.
Who has punched you the hardest?
I have to give it to Chuck Liddell. He cracked me with a good shot. Wanderlei Silva in 2000 cracked me with a good shot also. It's a toss-up between them two.
 What celebrity would you want to fight in an MMA match?
Now that Dana White is a celebrity, and he has been the superstar of the UFC since Tito Ortiz left, I guess him. Yeah, for sure.
Do you ever get road rage?
I never, ever get road rage. Nowadays, you have to watch out because someone will pull out a gun and shoot you. I'm not down for all that.
Who taps out first in bed, you or your girlfriend Jenna Jameson?
Of course, me. Who wouldn't tap out first to Jenna Jameson? She has actually come to work with me on my book tour. She is very supportive with me, and I am very supportive of her. She comes to all my fights, of course, and it is nice to have a girl who supports what I do.
What motivated you to go over to Iraq to visit the soldiers?
I know a lot of families are missing their fathers, sons, and daughters because they are fighting the war for us. They give us the freedom to walk around the States freely. They are the ones sacrificing their lives, so the least I can do is bring them some recognition. A lot of people in the United States forget that we are still at war against terrorism. I support the troops 100 percent, and I think that it is time to bring them home.
You always come to the cage wearing a T-shirt with one of your quotes. Do you regret any of them?
Every one of my T-shirts was a good one—there was never one that didn't work. There was one that I wasn't going to do, but I did anyway: DANA IS MY BITCH.
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