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In the lead up to UFC 199, Michael Bisping has accused Luke Rockhold of being smug and arrogant numerous times as they prepare to face each other on Saturday night.

As much as Bisping probably sees those words as insults, Rockhold doesn't deny a single thing he's said about being confident and maybe even a little cocky ahead of their fight.

Rockhold says there's no room for humility in the fight game because that's what will get you beat if you walk into the Octagon thinking you're anything less than superior to your opponent.

"In fighting when someone's signed up to fight me, I'm not humble. I've never been humble," Rockhold told FOX Sports. "I don't think this is a sport to be humble. You have to know what you're going to do. If you don't believe it, you'll never achieve it. I know what I'm going to do so I'll tell them what I'm going to do.

"In other respects of life, I'm the most humble guy you'll ever meet."

When it comes to fighting, (expletive) that. I'm the most confident mother (expletive) you're ever going to meet. That's how you have to be. You can't second guess yourself. I don't question myself for a second about anybody I face or who I get in there with. -- Luke Rockhold

On paper, Rockhold is battling Bisping at UFC 199, but in his own head, the middleweight champion is always fighting against himself.

Rockhold wants to improve during every performance and beat his opponents so badly that they never come calling for a rematch again. It's that attitude that drives Rockhold to always be better and while he feels he's the best he's ever been right now, there's still more room to grow.

"I think I'm at my peak where I've been but I don't think I'm near what I'm capable of. I'm getting better and growing in so many respects," Rockhold said. "I plan on reaching that potential and that's what I'm here for. That's what I strive for.

"I'm in the pursuit of excellence. One foot at a time, one camp at a time. I try to better myself every time. I want to put on performances no one else has. I want to be flawless every time."

Rockhold's obsession with greatness is part of what makes him one of the best fighters on the planet and why he believes he'll go down as one of the greatest of all time.

To hear Rockhold tell it, he's always reaching for the top and he'll never understand anyone who isn't doing the same thing.

"I don't understand people who just live to exist, live to be OK. Live to be regular, live to be average. It doesn't make any sense to me," Rockhold said. "I live to be the best. I don't live to be good. You only get one life and I live to be great. I live to be special.

"I want to leave my mark. I want to break every record in the books. I want to do everything I can. I've got a long time left in this game and I've just begun. The sky's the limit."