Charles Radtke unfazed by changing circumstances at CFFC 110: 'One guy falls out, another one comes in'
Charles Radtke expected to be headlining Thursday's CFFC 110 event in Florida. He was all set to challenge undefeated CFFC welterweight champion Eric Alequin on the night, hoping to claim gold on his path to the sport's biggest promotions.
Then, everything changed.
"It's just part of the process," Radtke said. "I mean, I just think of it like a tournament bracket. One guy falls out, another one comes in."
Alequin withdrew from the contest, leaving Radtke without an opponent. However, rather than wait around and look to reschedule the title fight, Radtke chose to remain active and asked the promotion to pair him up with a new opponent.
"For me, I really wanted to compete against Eric," Radtke said. "I felt like with his record, with my style and my attitude and his attitude and his style, I felt like this was the fight to take me to that next step. But, you know, an obstacle is in the way, and this is just a little obstacle, and it's going to put me in the right direction."
Radtke (5-3) now competes in the co-main event of Thursday's card, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, where he takes on promotional newcomer Caleb Crump (4-2-1).
Radtke said he didn't even bother asking CFFC officials for his opponent's name before accepting the new matchup.
"I didn't even look at him," Radtke said. "I just said yeah, because I mean at the end of the day, people want to see someone who is going to accept fights no matter what, and I'm one of those type of guys. I've had my losses and my fair share, but the one thing about me, I'm not scared to have the potential of having a loss, you know? You want the tough competition in there.
"I did actually look Caleb up after it was booked, and he's a good opponent. I mean, you sleep on this guy, you might be waking up at a loss. But at the end of the day, you're trying to just go in there and compete against yourself and be the best you can be. It's always good to have a little knowledge on your opponent so you can strategize, but if you're really that good, you've got to be able to take on anybody on any given day."
It's a refreshing attitude from a fighter looking to make his way to the top level of the sport. "Chuck Buffalo" started his career with mixed results as a lightweight but has since gone 2-0 since moving up to 170 pounds and now seeks his third straight victory.
Radtke won't have the opportunity to walk away with a title on Thursday night, but he's certainly shown the attitude that big organizations like to see in a willingness to take on all potential foes. Should he turn in a scintillating performance under less-than-ideal circumstances, it might potentially do more for him than any belt ever would.
"I want to thank CFFC for the opportunities," Radtke said. "It's not their fault, and it's not my fault. We're going to do what we have to do to keep the show going on, and I'm just excited to compete with CFFC because as long as I've been there, they've always treated me the best. Now I've just got to go out there and perform.
"I've been training with Valle Flow Striking and Belal Muhammad and guys like that, and I feel like I'm going to be able to bring a lot better version of myself and I'm just going to allow it to be. There's no expectations. I'm just going out there with the same mentality that I always have, and it's to look for a finish."
