--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I could have had the opportunity to be…" description: "\"If I could have had the opportunity to be a full-time fighter while I was one of the best in the world, what could I have done then?\" — Shayna Baszler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/shayna-baszler-12631_best_if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-b_2049846.jpg" --- # If I could have had the opportunity to be a full-time… ![“If I could have had the opportunity to be a full-time fighter while I was one of the best in the world, what could I have done then?” quote by Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/shayna-baszler-12631_best_if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-b_2049846.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/shayna-baszler-12631_best_if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-b_2049846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/shayna-baszler-12631_best_if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-b_2049846.jpg) > “If I could have had the opportunity to be a full-time fighter while I was one of the best in the world, what could I have done then?” [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Considering a parallel career as a fighter while already elite raises questions about opportunity cost and focus. **In simple terms:** Balancing two top‑level pursuits is tough. Key Takeaway Prioritize one path to excel. Themes career sports choice Mood determined reflective Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - professional sports - career planning - personal development Key Concepts opportunity cost focus identity Questions to Reflect On - What would you sacrifice for a second career? - Is dual excellence realistic? A Different Perspective Risk of burnout and divided attention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter/) [Fighter Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter-best-1422405/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Opportunity Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity-time-2156997/) [Time Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-fighter-3857824/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) ## Related quotes > [I have looked at videos of many great champions like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Joe Frazier, who each had special qualities. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasyl-lomachenko/i-have-looked-at-videos-of-many-great-champions-like-muhammad-ali/) [Vasyl Lomachenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasyl-lomachenko/) > [Style-wise, I'm not ideal to fight, but I'm not taking anything away from 'Canelo' Alvarez, he's a special fighter and he's one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callum-smith/style-wise-i-m-not-ideal-to-fight-but-i-m-not-taking-anything-away/) [Callum Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callum-smith/) > [It comes down to two things: who's the smarter fighter and who has the best timing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather/it-comes-down-to-two-things-who-s-the-smarter-fighter-and-who-has-the/) [Floyd Mayweather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather/) > [“I'm not cruisin' this opportunity in time and space for you to like or dislike my 'get-down'; I'm here 'cause I'm down to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/i-m-not-cruisin-this-opportunity-in-time-and-space-for-you-to-like-or/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [Great men should think of opportunity and not of time. That is the excuse of feeble and puzzled spirits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/great-men-should-think-of-opportunity-and-not-of-time-that-is-the/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Nearly every moment of every day, we have the opportunity to give something to someone else - our time, our love, our resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/nearly-every-moment-of-every-day-we-have-the-opportunity-to-give/) [S. Truett Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-truett-cathy/) > [“Today brings to each of us 1,440 minutes; 86,400 ticks of the clock. Both the poor and the wealthy have the same 24 hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/today-brings-to-each-of-us-1-440-minutes-86-400-ticks-of-the-clock/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Every minute starts an hour and every minute is a new opportunity. Each time the clock ticks you have a chance to start over,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-minute-starts-an-hour-and-every-minute-is-a-new-opportunity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What infants need is the opportunity and time to take in and figure out the world around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-gerber/what-infants-need-is-the-opportunity-and-time-to-take-in-and-figure/) [Magda Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-gerber/) > [I think if you get the opportunity to try and become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and you turn your back on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/i-think-if-you-get-the-opportunity-to-try-and-become-the-best-pound/) [Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/) > [I don't walk around looking into cameras and telling people I'm the best fighter in the world just to hear myself talk. I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-don-t-walk-around-looking-into-cameras-and-telling-people-i-m-the/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I'm a fighter, I love boxing, it's what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/i-m-a-fighter-i-love-boxing-it-s-what-i-do/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [You've got to be careful against classy fighters, especially counter-punchers because if you go for the finish too early, you can end up getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/you-ve-got-to-be-careful-against-classy-fighters-especially-counter/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [I'm not taking him lightly at all. I mean, Heiland, he's a good fighter. He's strong. He comes to fight every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermall-charlo/i-m-not-taking-him-lightly-at-all-i-mean-heiland-he-s-a-good-fighter/) [Jermall Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermall-charlo/) > [I said that I was gonna smash him in three rounds, and that's what I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-said-that-i-was-gonna-smash-him-in-three-rounds-and-that-s-what-i/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) ## More by Shayna Baszler > [I don't care what Dana White thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-don-t-care-what-dana-white-thinks/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I've always said the thing about MMA that a lot of fighters don't understand is people care more about the story, about why a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-ve-always-said-the-thing-about-mma-that-a-lot-of-fighters-don-t/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [If you follow my MMA career, I've always been the pro wrestler of women's MMA, coming out with a guitar, saying crazy things on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/if-you-follow-my-mma-career-i-ve-always-been-the-pro-wrestler-of/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [One of the reasons I started pursuing MMA was for all the similarities to pro wrestling that it has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/one-of-the-reasons-i-started-pursuing-mma-was-for-all-the/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I did some really heavy, intensive clinics with Billy Robinson. Anyone that knows anything about Billy, he was a mean old dude! I survived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-did-some-really-heavy-intensive-clinics-with-billy-robinson-anyone/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [In MMA, there isn't time to admire your work until it's all over with. In sports-entertainment, I can admire what I'm doing while it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/in-mma-there-isn-t-time-to-admire-your-work-until-it-s-all-over-with/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I'm looking forward to getting out there and twisting limbs off and breaking bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-m-looking-forward-to-getting-out-there-and-twisting-limbs-off-and/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [It's not like I'm training every day by doing an avalanche suplex off the top turnbuckle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/it-s-not-like-i-m-training-every-day-by-doing-an-avalanche-suplex-off/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I've faced the undefeated, young up-and-comers, everybody counting me out before, on a big card, with big lights, TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-ve-faced-the-undefeated-young-up-and-comers-everybody-counting-me/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I spent so many years in MMA waving the banner for pro wrestling, telling fighters they had to be more entertaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-spent-so-many-years-in-mma-waving-the-banner-for-pro-wrestling/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I'm being more physical and aggressive while, at the same time, I'm not being overwhelmed by strong fighters like Sara McMann.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-m-being-more-physical-and-aggressive-while-at-the-same-time-i-m-not/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I've played basketball, and I've stood at the free-throw line with a tie game and 0.2 seconds left. But there is no feeling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-ve-played-basketball-and-i-ve-stood-at-the-free-throw-line-with-a/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [It's not like I was saying, 'Oh, I want to make it to the UFC one day,' because the sport wasn't big enough then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/it-s-not-like-i-was-saying-oh-i-want-to-make-it-to-the-ufc-one-day/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [I was going to school; I was working - at one point, I had two jobs - and I was still trying to train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/i-was-going-to-school-i-was-working-at-one-point-i-had-two-jobs-and-i/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) > [One thing I've learned is that a lot of fans' knowledge starts and stops with the UFC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-a-lot-of-fans-knowledge-starts-and/) [Shayna Baszler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) [Explore all 54 Shayna Baszler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/) ## More Best quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) [Gene Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-scott/) > [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/) [Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/) > [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) [Browse all 21,674 Best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I could have had the opportunity to be a full-time fighter while I was one of the best in the world, what could I have done then?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shayna Baszler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-be-a-full-time-fighter-while-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-be-a-full-time-fighter-while-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/shayna-baszler-12631_best_if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-b_2049846.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/shayna-baszler-12631_best_if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-b_2049846.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/shayna-baszler-12631_best_if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-b_2049846.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I could have had the opportunity to be a full-time fighter while I was one of the best in the world, what…” — Shayna Baszler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shayna Baszler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayna-baszler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I could have had the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-be-a-full-time-fighter-while-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayna-baszler/if-i-could-have-had-the-opportunity-to-be-a-full-time-fighter-while-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```