Fighting Words

Rafael Casias is taking a fighting chance



 

 

Floor to ceiling windows let the sun brighten the floor of the Fitness Fight Factory (F3) gym in Colleyville, Texas. Thirty heavy bags, weighing a hundred pounds each, lightly sway anticipating their next encounter. A cardio class is lead in from an outside workout. The mats are covered in wall-to-wall wrestlers. Rafael Casias stands hands on hips, eyes focused and mouth delivering instruction.

Casias is a Pleasanton High School graduate and son of Diana Cruz and the late Emilio Casias.

He grew up mainly on the east side of town. Casias, his sister Monica and brother Eugene were raised by their mother, grandmother, the late Rufina Gutierrez and aunt Rachel Gutierrez.

Casias started boxing with Atascosa Boxing Club, which was in Poteet at the time, when he was 18 years old, a bit late by most standards. He began fighting mainly because he hung out with boxers.

“It was just something that came natural,” Casias said thinking back.

Due to personal situations his amateur and professional career took on the personification of a yo-yo.

After five amateur fights in Pleasanton he stopped training. A couple of years later he moved to the Dallas area with his high school sweetheart, Monique and their daughter, Kallista Jade. Casias continued fighting and won the “Fort Worth Golden Gloves” in 2004, thus he began his professional career as a boxer.

He lost his first fight to Keiron Armour that October. Following his debut he stopped fighting.

“[In] Dealing with personal demons I got away from it [ boxing] again,” he said. He stayed away from the ring for a few years. Then in 2008, feeling badly out of shape, he began working out as a member at LA Boxing. There he met one of his future business partners, Johnny Bedford, LA Boxing’s Head Instructor and a Mixed Martial Artist.

“He asked me to start teaching classes there. He kind of stayed in my ear all the time about starting to fight again,” Casias said.

His second pro-fight would be against Joel Hernandez. Although the fight was stopped, North Texas Fisticuffs awarded them “Round of the Year”.

After a year off, he faced Hernandez in the ring again only to succumb due to a highly controversial judges’ decision. This time he stuck with it and went on a four fight winning streak earning him the title of “Come Back Fighter of the Year” by NorthTexasBoxing.com in 2010.

Due to a bad disc in his back his fight career is on hold. It may be fixed through surgery, but Casias does not find the surgery worth it. He has not been back in the ring as a fighter, but as a trainer and manager he’s having great success.

“It’s funny,” Casias laughs a bit thinking about it, “Johnny asked me a couple of weeks after I met him. We started talking. He found out that I used to fight and he asked me to corner him for a fight ‘cause he was new to the area still. He moved here just to open that place [LA Boxing] so he didn’t know anybody.”

Bedford was given a fight in Lufkin. Casias accompanied Bedford to the fight to help in his corner.

“We didn’t even know each other really, but we hit it off. Now he’s one of my best friends. He’s like a brother to me,” Casias said referring to Bedford.

Things were not working out with LA Boxing. Casias and Bedford had a different direction they would like to have taken, but neither of them were owners so they moved on.

Casias started Wreck One Fight Management, a business in which he could help train and book fights for local fighters. He began managing Bedford to help him make the money he deserved.

“When I met him [Bedford], he already had twenty-something fights and he was making a measly $400/$400 a show. You know, $400 to show. $400 for a win. Which is ridiculous. I have pro debut guys that are making that now,” said Casias.

No longer working at LA Boxing, Bedford was fighting to make his living, but it was not enough to make ends meet.

“I said [to Bedford] ‘Give me a chance. I don’t know anything about the business.’ [It’s] funny [that] four years ago I didn’t know a thing about this sport that I’m in,” he laughed.

Casias asked a client of his if he had a job open for Bedford. The client said he would look around to see what he could come up with. Three days later he called Casias back asking if he wanted to start a gym with him. Within in two weeks they had a building and were getting ready to open.

Fitness Fight Factory became that gym. Bedford was on board with the project also and is an instructor. The facility offers boxing, kick boxing, No-gi and Gi Brazilian Juijitsu and wrestling.

In March of this past year, Casias was able to get Bedford to tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter 14 (TUF14), a reality television show previously airing on SpikeTv. It gives Mixed Martial Artists a chance to train with the top of the crop and compete for a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

“We had just opened the business so we were both broke. I got us some sponsors for his [Bedford’s] flight. Domgear sponsored the hotel and stuff. We got him flown out, man and you know, he made it. That was all him,” said Casias about TUF 14 tryouts.

Bedford did well. Not only did he make it on the show, but he made it to the semifinals after defeating Joshua Ferguson in the third episode. Unfortunately, in episode 10, he was taken down by John Dodson who went on to win the bantam weight division of TUF14.

“It was nice to see him make it. I knew it was already eight years that he’d been on this path,” Casias said referring to Bedford.

On the finale fight card of TUF14, Bedford fought and won against Louis Gaudinot with a TKO (technical knock out) in the third round.

“That [TUF Finale] was, besides getting married and having my daughter, one of the most surreal times of my life,” Casias said with a smile. “All our hard work, all of the times having to go out of state or out of town to go fight and leaving Monique and Kallista here and finally it paid off. We were at THE show.”

“We had just dominated and normally I’m the first one in the cage to give Johnny a hug and tell him how proud I am, but I was still taking it in. Even right now. It’s got me, just talking about it,” said a proud Casias.

Bedford now faces Michel Gagnon on the Fox 2 preliminary fight card this Saturday, January 28. These UFC fights mean big things for the F3 family. Casias and other members of F3 will be in Bedford’s corner. This will be Bedford’s second fight in the UFC and it could lead to more.

Casias manages multiple fighters, including Evan Cutts, a 20 year old man with a professional record of 3-0 with ProExlite MMA. His most recent win was against Reagan Penn, the younger brother of UFC fighter BJ Penn.

Casias predicts big things for Cutts. “I know where he’s going. He’s going to UFC. He’s young so we’re not rushing. I know he can be there.” Casias said with great confidence.

Casias dedicates his success to the support of his wife, “She’s been there for me through all of my wacky promises. I have to thank her ‘cause she’s always just stuck by me. It’s not easy when your husband’s gone out at hotels all the time. I would never be where I am without her.”

UPDATE 01/26/12: Unfortunately, Johnny "Brutal" Bedford vs Michel Gagnon was scratched from the UFC Preliminary fight card this weekend due to Gagnon not being able to enter the US. For more information check out MMA Junkie News.


Rafael Casias (left) works the mits with Johnny “Brutal” Bedford for his upcoming UFC fight.Jessica M. Machado Pleasanton Express

Rafael Casias (left) works the mits with Johnny “Brutal” Bedford for his upcoming UFC fight.Jessica M. Machado Pleasanton Express

 

 

Johnny Bedford works out with trainer Rafael Casias at their gym Fitness Fight Factory in Colleyville, Texas.

Johnny Bedford works out with trainer Rafael Casias at their gym Fitness Fight Factory in Colleyville, Texas.

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