Raheam Forest has simple message for Collin Lubberts ahead of CFFC 115: 'Let's go to war, baby!'
Undefeated welterweight prospect Raheam Forest is by far his own toughest critic. Look no further than his July submission of Trevor Ollison, which took less than three minutes. it's the type of result most fighters would celebrate, but not "Rambo."
"I felt like I didn't perform well, but I won, so I'm grateful for that," Forest said. "Other than that, I just didn't make myself proud. I didn't feel proud of myself, but I did what I had to do."
Sound like a tough enough evaluation? Now consider that Forest was injured heading into the fight.
"That camp, I couldn't do anything for two months because I messed up my ribs, and nobody knew about it," Forest said. "I don't know how I won that fight, but you could see it on my face after the fight. I didn't feel like I did well. When I came out, I was just throwing bombs because I couldn't spar or anything for like two months. Really, I couldn't do anything, so I felt off."
During training, Forest had popped his ribs, which severely impacted his preparation. However, he said he never once considered pulling out of the fight.
"I will not do that a day in my life," Forest said. "I've fought with two broken hands before. I fought with a messed up knee, a broken nose."
Despite his frustrations, the 25-year-old did pick up the first-round victory to remain undefeated and has been rewarded for his efforts. Forest (5-0) will now challenge for the vacant CFFC welterweight title at Friday's CFFC 115, when he takes on fellow top prospect Collin Lubberts (6-1).
The two headline the card, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Mississippi's Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino. Forest is excited for the matchup because of the quality he believes Lubberts brings into the contest.
"Oh, man, I love it," Forest said. "Collin's a boxer. He likes to sit in the pocket with people, and I love it. That's a fight I love. That's what I'm looking for. I haven't seen too much ground work, but he's good on the ground. I looked at grappling matches and stuff like that. He's a brown belt, so it's something I'm looking forward to.
"I need a fight like this because literally, people have been turning me down that are like 10-2. I want the hard fights. Those are the fights that I want, and he may not have like a 10-0 record or whatever, but he's up there with that caliber. He's good. That's the fights that I want."
Forest's undefeated record includes four stoppage wins. The only man to take him to a decision is reigning CFFC middleweight champ Donovan Beard. But in this championship contest, Forest insists cardio isn't a concern should the fight go long.
"We always train in five-minute rounds, and we do over 10 rounds," Forest said. "I always do way over five rounds. Same with the grappling, as well – we do marathon rolls. Also, when I do my training, I'll do like the shark tank, and then the heavy bag, ground-and-pound and everything else. You're working all the endurance and just pushing through."
With his unblemished record, a CFFC title would go a long way towards helping Forest earn an invitation to the sport's biggest promotions, but he insists he's not in a rush. Ever the self-critic, Forest is simply focused on getting better so that he's prepared when his time comes.
"I'm very hard on myself, and I just work hard," Forest said. "I'm a very patient dude, you know? My teammates help me with my mindset. My coaches, they tell me I'm one of the best, and I have to believe it, you know? So whatever happens, happens. I'm ready. I just know I fear no man. I'm going to do what I've got to do. You're going to have to kill me to get me out of there."
So expect a scrap in Friday's headliner. Forest thinks it's inevitable, provided he's given a willing dance partner.
"One thing about me, I'm not going to predict the fight," Forest said. "We're just going to see where it goes. I ain't that cocky. He's good, so it could be a back-and-forth thing. You never know. I'm not the one to predict fights, especially not for myself.
"But, Colin – let's go to war, baby! Let's do this."
