"Royal" Ryan Reber lives for the present.
2024 could be a breakout year in the Squared Circle for Reber, but the hard-hitting St. Petersburg, FL product isn’t looking past Feb. 2, when he takes on Derek Perez at BKFC 57 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL, LIVE on The BKFC App.
“I’m not in a rush; I’m just riding my wave. I live in the present, I live in the now,” Reber says.
“I know what I want, and I know what it takes to get there. But the world is such a weird place with how fast things can change. I can only prepare for what I can prepare for, so I don’t spend much time worrying about anything else.”
Reber’s No. 1 priority is his preparation for BKFC 57, where he’ll battle Perez in a highly anticipated bantamweight showdown. Reber is currently the No. 3 contender in the stacked 135-pound weight class. An impressive victory in Hollywood, FL would up Reber’s record to 5-0 and could possibly earn him the next shot at BKFC World Bantamweight Champion Keith “The Rockstar” Richardson (4-0).
Reber’s dream is to have that belt wrapped around his waist, but he’s not counting his chickens before they hatch.
“I’ve got Derek Perez in front of me – that’s my main concern. There are no guarantees in the fight game, man,” he says.
“I only worry about the things that I can control. You’ve got to live in the moment and be ready for anything, or the moment is going to pass you by.”
Reber is willing to be flexible in how he reaches his final destination with BKFC, but his goal is clear – the BKFC World Bantamweight Championship.
“I’m not going to stop until I get it,” he says.
“Let’s say my next fight is against Keith and he squeaks out a win against me – I’m coming right back for it. I’m not going to stop until I attain what I’ve worked 21 years to accomplish. I’ve always wanted to be a World Champion, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it. Now that BKFC has given me this platform, it’s rejuvenated my fighting career, and I’m extremely excited about how this sport is growing, and my future with BKFC.”
