---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I get in that cage and fight, that's…"
description: "\"When I get in that cage and fight, that's not me. It's somebody else. It's like a light switch that turns on.\" — Tito Ortiz"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/tito-ortiz-3961_cage_when-i-get-in-that-cage-and-fight-that-s_2322217.jpg"
---

#  When I get in that cage and fight, that's not me. It's…

![“When I get in that cage and fight, that's not me. It's somebody else. It's like a light switch that turns on.” quote by Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/tito-ortiz-3961_cage_when-i-get-in-that-cage-and-fight-that-s_2322217.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/tito-ortiz-3961_cage_when-i-get-in-that-cage-and-fight-that-s_2322217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/tito-ortiz-3961_cage_when-i-get-in-that-cage-and-fight-that-s_2322217.jpg)

> “When I get in that cage and fight, that's not me. It's somebody else. It's like a light switch that turns on.”

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He feels detached from his fighting persona, as if an alter ego takes over during combat.

**In simple terms:** Fighting feels like a different self.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the mental shift in high intensity moments.

Themes

identity combat psychology

Mood

intense reflective

Type

motivational psychological

When to use this quote

- sports competition
- high pressure work
- public speaking
- emergency response
- combat training

Key Concepts

alter ego performance state

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you manage identity changes under pressure?
- What triggers your mental switch?

A Different Perspective

The “other self” may mask underlying stress or trauma.

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[Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cage/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/)

## Related quotes

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> [We get in the cage and we fight and we're supposed to be like superhero people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-anderson/we-get-in-the-cage-and-we-fight-and-we-re-supposed-to-be-like/)

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> [There's always a switch that turns on at some point where you tell yourself, okay, the thing that I can control is the effort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-ariza/there-s-always-a-switch-that-turns-on-at-some-point-where-you-tell/)

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> [I don't care that no one has successfully defended the (light heavyweight) title. I care about preparation, training and getting inside the cage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-cavalcante/i-don-t-care-that-no-one-has-successfully-defended-the-light/)

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> [When people refer to a cage fight as war, I think it's kinda cute... A war, huh? You know what a war is? They,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kennedy/when-people-refer-to-a-cage-fight-as-war-i-think-it-s-kinda-cute-a/)

[Tim Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kennedy/)

> [Whatever steps in the cage against me, I will fight, because I have the belt, I'm No. 1 on the planet, and I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-nunes/whatever-steps-in-the-cage-against-me-i-will-fight-because-i-have-the/)

[Amanda Nunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-nunes/)

> [That's what I always say I will fight until I die, not just in a cage fight, but in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-vera/that-s-what-i-always-say-i-will-fight-until-i-die-not-just-in-a-cage/)

[Marlon Vera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-vera/)

> [The whole bad-boy image was for the cage, and that's it. It wasn't an act because it came from a passion for fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/the-whole-bad-boy-image-was-for-the-cage-and-that-s-it-it-wasn-t-an/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [When you fight somebody who no one knows and don't recognize their name, it doesn't matter how bad you beat them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fitch/when-you-fight-somebody-who-no-one-knows-and-don-t-recognize-their/)

[Jon Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fitch/)

> [When I was growing up, there was always somebody who wanted to pick a fight with me. I'd say, I'm not a famous boxer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gibbons/when-i-was-growing-up-there-was-always-somebody-who-wanted-to-pick-a/)

Richard Gibbons

> [I am comfortable with myself, and this is how I am. I am not really interested in having an acrimonious fight with somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-behar/i-am-comfortable-with-myself-and-this-is-how-i-am-i-am-not-really/)

[Joy Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-behar/)

> [The purpose of the pistol is to stop a fight that somebody else has started, almost always at very short range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-purpose-of-the-pistol-is-to-stop-a-fight-that-somebody-else-has/)

[Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/)

## More by Tito Ortiz

> [I fight on emotions. When I don't fight on emotions, I don't fight well. I fight on emotion, because I'm in for survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/i-fight-on-emotions-when-i-don-t-fight-on-emotions-i-don-t-fight-well/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [Just believe, it will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/just-believe-it-will-happen/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [For me, boxing's like checkers, and MMA's like chess - there are so many ways to win the match. It's not barbaric; it's boxing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/for-me-boxing-s-like-checkers-and-mma-s-like-chess-there-are-so-many/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [Us fighter put our lives on the line to entertain the fans that watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/us-fighter-put-our-lives-on-the-line-to-entertain-the-fans-that-watch/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell III, the fight that all the fans wanted to see for the longest time and never got a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/tito-ortiz-vs-chuck-liddell-iii-the-fight-that-all-the-fans-wanted-to/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [I just take fights that make me feel comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/i-just-take-fights-that-make-me-feel-comfortable/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [I was always a huge WWF wrestling fan, and Hulk Hogan was one of my biggest heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/i-was-always-a-huge-wwf-wrestling-fan-and-hulk-hogan-was-one-of-my/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [I don't wanna fight a street fighter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/i-don-t-wanna-fight-a-street-fighter/)

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> [I don't see myself any higher than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/i-don-t-see-myself-any-higher-than-anyone-else/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [Being outspoken was important... I helped make the UFC what it is today with Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, and Randy Couture. Some said I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/being-outspoken-was-important-i-helped-make-the-ufc-what-it-is-today/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [Wrestling has always been a dominating force in UFC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/wrestling-has-always-been-a-dominating-force-in-ufc/)

[Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

> [The whole bad-boy image was for the cage, and that's it. It wasn't an act because it came from a passion for fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/the-whole-bad-boy-image-was-for-the-cage-and-that-s-it-it-wasn-t-an/)

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> [The 'Apprentice' was tough, tough work. It was all for charity, so I was thankful for the money Donald Trump gave me when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/the-apprentice-was-tough-tough-work-it-was-all-for-charity-so-i-was/)

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> [Everybody wants to fight me so they can be a superstar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/everybody-wants-to-fight-me-so-they-can-be-a-superstar/)

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[Explore all 118 Tito Ortiz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/)

## More Cage quotes

> [“The cage has gotten bigger, and we can expect bigger beasts from it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mallory/the-cage-has-gotten-bigger-and-we-can-expect-bigger-beasts-from-it/)

Jason Mallory

> [“If you can choose your way into a cage, you can choose your way out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-kempton/if-you-can-choose-your-way-into-a-cage-you-can-choose-your-way-out/)

[Beth Kempton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-kempton/)

> [If you have the mentality that Jon Jones has when he steps into the cage, no one will beat you on the mat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-anderson/if-you-have-the-mentality-that-jon-jones-has-when-he-steps-into-the/)

[Corey Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-anderson/)

> [I underestimated the difference of fighting in a cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirko-cro-cop/i-underestimated-the-difference-of-fighting-in-a-cage/)

[Mirko Cro Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirko-cro-cop/)

> [“Because knowledge is only a cage if you dwell in isolation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/because-knowledge-is-only-a-cage-if-you-dwell-in-isolation/)

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> [What do you fear, lady?' he asked. 'A cage,' she said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-fear-lady-he-asked-a-cage-she-said/)

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> [“Soon, I found myself locked in my own cage of fear and desperation, where my experience of life was getting smaller and smaller.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/soon-i-found-myself-locked-in-my-own-cage-of-fear-and-desperation/)

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> [Everyone at home sitting on their couches, they think it's so easy to fight. Stepping inside that cage is probably the hardest thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-cerrone/everyone-at-home-sitting-on-their-couches-they-think-it-s-so-easy-to/)

[Donald Cerrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-cerrone/)

> [It's life or death for me every single time I step in the cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gaethje/it-s-life-or-death-for-me-every-single-time-i-step-in-the-cage/)

[Justin Gaethje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gaethje/)

> [The sight of a cage is only frightening to the bird that has once been caught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-field/the-sight-of-a-cage-is-only-frightening-to-the-bird-that-has-once/)

[Rachel Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-field/)

> [“Do you want to be kept in a little cage? No! Because it is a horror! But then why do you keep a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-you-want-to-be-kept-in-a-little-cage-no-because-it-is-a-horror-but/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> ['Luke Cage' is a gift. There's so many different ways you can look at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/luke-cage-is-a-gift-there-s-so-many-different-ways-you-can-look-at-it/)

[Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/)

> [“They let us be, here, in the cage of our ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/they-let-us-be-here-in-the-cage-of-our-ignorance/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [Tis Vanth's cage. You can just move it out of the way." "I already have," he grumbles. "With my shin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tis-vanth-s-cage-you-can-just-move-it-out-of-the-way-i-already-have/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Don’t be a bird that can be restricted from flying by putting in the cage. Be the one, which can fly with the cage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lovely-goyal/don-t-be-a-bird-that-can-be-restricted-from-flying-by-putting-in-the/)

[Lovely Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lovely-goyal/)

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