Joey Ruquet finds new fighting perspective ahead of CFFC debut: 'You're rewarded in light for what you do in the dark'
"El Cazador" plans to shock undefeated Khusein Shaikhaev, take home CFFC gold at Saturday's event in Florida.
Cage Fury Fighting Championships returns to Tampa's Florida State Fairgrounds on Saturday for CFFC 135, where in the night's main event, promotional newcomers battle it out for vacant bantamweight gold as seasoned veteran Joey Ruquet (9-4) faces undefeated Russian prospect Khusein Shaikhaev (12-0).
Ruquet is no stranger to taking on top competition in a variety of martial arts disciplines, making a career out of battling proven warriors. With a 9-4 record in MMA that includes five finishes, Ruquet has beaten top prospects many times before. However, despite a career filled with highlight-reel moments, Ruquet hasn't had a professional belt wrapped around his waist just yet.
While he hasn't competed in MMA since 2022 – though he did take a bareknuckle MMA bout in the interim – Ruquet insists he's done nothing but train and improve since that last fight. He also says his time off has been both purposeful and effective.
Needing to rework his strategy and perspective on fighting was necessary for him to reach the next level of his career, and he believes Saturday's event will allow him to show the results of his hard work outside of the cage.
"You're rewarded in light for what you do in the dark," Ruquet said.
Many fighters would stray away from taking on an undefeated prospect for their first fight back from time away from competition. Some might prefer a "tune-up" fight to get their confidence back up to par. Ruquet has a very different attitude towards the challenge ahead, welcoming it with eagerness."
"I don't think CFFC really knows who they're feeding who to," Ruquet said. "I'm happy to take that '0' from him.
"This guy's going to come in overconfident. He's going to underestimate me. He's going to get hurt. There's a little bit of dog inside that I haven't let out in a while, and I think he's going to get it. He's 12-0 because he's fought 12 people that are not me."
This newfound confidence and faith is something that Ruquet had to spend a lot of time searching for while he took time off from fighting. Anger was a big part of Ruquet's life and motivation early on in his career. Letting emotions get in the way of fighting cost him many opportunities in the past. Deciding it was time to find a new path and a new light, Ruquet turned to God for help and clarity.
Since committing his life to Christ, everything has come much easier for Ruquet, he said.
"Before, I was still a child driven by anger," Ruquet said. "In order for me to receive God's gift, to be a real champion for my family, I had to become something else. This journey has been a painful but beautiful one.”
"I'm in for the journey. I've learned to not try and force things. I know God's got a plan, so I just go with the flow, do what I'm supposed to. The growth, controlling my emotions in the fight, led to controlling my emotions with my wife, which then set a better example for my kids. Everything needed to happen. Pain was necessary to build me into the character I needed to be, to be a champion."
With this new peace in his life, Ruquet is ready to return to the cage and capture something he has long fought for: a championship belt. Once that goal has been fulfilled, Ruquet believes even bigger plans are in store for him as he expressed interest towards one day fighting in the UFC, where he believes he would be a perfect fit.
"I'm trying to be a proper role model," Ruquet said. "I'm who you want on the face of things – not another guy off the street that's just wanting to hurt people. Someone who has been through it all but can come back on top. Why wouldn't you want a proper example for the next generation of fighters and community?"
Even though Ruquet has big career aspirations that he looks forward to achieving, he still believes that God and his family are the most important things in his life. This change of perspective was more than a blessing for his career and life. Expect to see an entirely new "El Cazador" in the cage at CFFC 135, as he kicks off the start to the rest of his career.
Watch the action unfold on Saturday at the Florida State Fairgrounds or streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS. Limited tickets remain at CFFC.tv.
