Valuev speaks from the heart-

'I am not a machine, I am not a piece of meat, I am not a circus show. I am a normal human being. I have human feelings. I have a beautiful family. I have many friends. I like good music, classical music. I read books. People sometimes do not treat me like a human being because of my size. They make a sensation. I try not to take it personally because they do not know me as a person, but there are times when it hurts me inside.'

- Nikolai Valuev