Former two-time BKFC bantamweight title contender Ryan Reber has offered his perspective on the upcoming BKFC 89 showdown between Jamel Herring and Nate Maness for the vacant 135-pound championship. Reber, who is set to face former BKB bare-knuckle title challenger Joshua Oxendine tonight at BKFC Clearwater, views this fight as a significant step towards his own title aspirations.
Speaking about the potential implications of his upcoming bout and the bantamweight title picture, Reber expressed his desire to face the winner of the Herring-Maness fight. He stated, “When I get [Joshua Oxendine] out of the way, yeah, I would hope that they would put me up against the winner of [Jamel] Herring versus [Nate] Maness. Either one of those fights really intrigue me because those are really decorated guys, you know what I mean? So it’s not like fighting a Justin Ibarrola or another guy that came up through the rankings. It’s actually fighting a guy that’s got a real complete resume. So you take a guy like that out, that to me is better than the world title. But then it’s winning the world title on top of it.”
Reber elaborated on the significance of defeating a highly accomplished opponent, highlighting the prestige associated with such victories. “So it’s like a double whammy and they got everything to lose in the fight. You know what I mean? Like you’re losing to a guy like me that may have more bare knuckle experience than you but doesn’t have more experience in what he’s done in the combat world. You know what I mean? Like Nate was a highly decorated UFC guy. Then you got Herring who was a highly decorated boxer and you know that’s what I want right there.”
Looking ahead, Reber reiterated his ambition for a title shot, emphasizing that a victory over Oxendine could position him for a “third time’s the charm” opportunity. He commented on the contrasting resumes of Herring and Maness, noting, “So that would definitely be something I’d be gunning for next. I’m gonna pay and it’s kind of the same boat. I mean, you look at Herring, 1 and 0. Then you look at Nate, he hasn’t even had a fight at 135 yet [laughs]. You know what I mean? He fought f***ing [Tyler] Randall who was a 125er. Like, I give him that fight, you know what I mean? Of course, because a fight’s a fight, but I mean, it’s not too impressive of a win. I mean, those guys literally got that chance because of who they are outside of the bare knuckle sport.”
English Translation:
Jamel Herring and Nate Maness are slated to compete for the vacant bantamweight championship at BKFC 89 on May 22nd, and a former two-time challenger for the BKFC 135-pound crown has shared his thoughts on the matchup. The fighter in question is Ryan Reber, who is facing former BKB Bare Knuckle title challenger Joshua Oxendine at BKFC Clearwater tonight.
This contest between former title contenders from different bare-knuckle promotions promises an exciting fight and could potentially serve as a title eliminator. Regarding the upcoming bantamweight title clash in BKFC and how his fight could propel him towards it, Reber stated (via Bare Knuckle Bowker):
“When I get [Joshua Oxendine] out of the way, yeah, I would hope that they would put me up against the winner of [Jamel] Herring versus [Nate] Maness. Either one of those fights really intrigues me because those are really decorated guys, you know what I mean? So it’s not like fighting a Justin Ibarrola or another guy that came up through the rankings. It’s actually fighting a guy that’s got a real complete resume. So you take a guy like that out, that to me is better than the world title. But then it’s winning the world title on top of it.”
“So it’s like a double whammy, and they’ve got everything to lose in the fight. You know what I mean? Like you’re losing to a guy like me that may have more bare-knuckle experience than you but doesn’t have more experience in what he’s done in the combat world. You know what I mean? Like Nate was a highly decorated UFC guy. Then you’ve got Herring, who was a highly decorated boxer, and you know, that’s what I want right there.”
Further discussing the looming vacant title bout between Herring and Maness, and how a victory over ex-BKB lightweight title challenger Oxendine tonight could potentially offer him a “third time’s the charm” opportunity, Reber continued (via Bare Knuckle Bowker):
“So that would definitely be something I’d be gunning for next. I’m going to pay attention, and it’s kind of the same situation. I mean, you look at Herring, 1 and 0. Then you look at Nate, he hasn’t even had a fight at 135 yet [laughs]. You know what I mean? He fought, damn, [Tyler] Randall, who was a 125er. Like, I’ll give him that fight, you know what I mean? Of course, because a fight’s a fight, but I mean, it’s not too impressive of a win. I mean, those guys literally got that chance because of who they are outside of the bare-knuckle sport.”