Champ Raheam Forest has a point to prove at CFFC 118: 'There's no quit in me'
Raheam "Rambo" Forest was born to compete. More importantly, he was born to compete at a high-caliber level in the cage. Now with the CFFC welterweight title wrapped around his waist, he is more than ready to continue his dominance. The champion is currently 6-0 and plans to extend his win streak when he faces top contender Charlie Radtke (6-3) at Saturday night's CFFC 118 event, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Philadelphia's 2300 Arena.
The champion is coming off a split-decision win at November's CFFC 115, where he earned the welterweight title following an absolute war with Collin Lubberts. That contest was a 25-minute slugfest full of everything the two men had to offer. Looking back on his title win, Forest believes that the fight served as the perfect motivation for his upcoming defense.
"That last fight was a great experience; it motivated me in so many ways," Forest said. "I could hang with Collin because I knew he was good, durable and a dog. It gave me the confidence that I could hang with anyone. Just saying, he was one tough dude, he took some shots of mine that a lot people can't take. It was just an experience we both needed."
With the fight behind him and the experience serving as a learning tool, Forest is well-prepared for another potential war on Saturday night when he faces Radtke, whose impressive resume showcases his finishing ability and his proficiency as a striker. Of course, Forest is no stranger to hard-hitting opponents and has knockout power himself, with three of his six pro wins coming from finishes. Knowing the power of his opponent, Forest believes that Saturday night's fight could end rather quickly.
"Both of us are powerhouses, and either one of us could end it quick," Forest said. "So we just have to come out and be smart fighters and compete and give the people a show. We both love this, and I can tell by how someone carries themselves in this fight game. We were born to compete."
Initially the two welterweights were meant to meet at CFFC 115, but when Florida was hit with a hurricane, Radtke had to back out. This time, both welterweights have had the opportunity to work on their craft, and for Forest, time to prepare to defend his belt. Though Forest credits Radtke's ability and power in the cage, he's not too worried about his opponent.
"Charlie's a very technical guy and very explosive, and he likes to sit in the pocket, and that's my type of party right there," Forest said.
When Forest enters the cage on Saturday, he says that he has more to prove than just continuing his reign as champ. Instead, the welterweight wants to show out for his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, and prove just how talented the MMA scene is there. More importantly, he's ready to show those watching that in order to succeed, you need to put in the work.
"I want to prove that Memphis has talent and hard workers," Forest said. "What a lot of people from Memphis fail to realize is that you actually have to put the work in and put the crying and pouting to the side and get the sh-t done. I've been broke, homeless and just mentally not there doing this, and I never thought about quitting. There's no quit in me."
ARTICLE BY SERENA GARCIA