Erique Arroyo's journey: 559 Fights Featherweight contender

Fresno, Calif. - As Featherweight Erique Arroyo stepped out of the cage after his first amateur fight on September 7, 2024, only one thing echoed in his mind.

“I can do this. This sport is for me, and I belong in this sport”

It may have been a strange mentality to some, as Arroyo didn’t win that fight, but it was a sign for him that he had finally found his calling. 

In his very next fight, just over two months later, he knocked out his opponent 30 seconds into the first round.

Since then, the Fresno native has come out victorious in his two 559 Fights bouts and is set to compete for the vacant 559 Fights Featherweight championship on Saturday, April 19 at the Visalia Convention Center.

However, his journey to get to that first fight wasn’t an easy one as he battled many obstacles in his life, including spending a year in jail.

Navigating life after school

Before that, Arroyo remembers having a rough childhood, including seeing his mother fall in and eventually find her way out of addiction. 

After age eight, his mom became sober, and Arroyo found himself doing well in school. He says he was a straight-A student, an honor student, was in plenty of AP classes and a multisport athlete.

Arroyo was set to enlist in the Marine Corps right after he graduated high school, but things fell through, and that’s when things made a turn for the worse.

“I went down a spiral,” Arroyo said. “I kind of started getting in trouble and that’s how I ended up incarcerated.”

Arroyo says he began to surround himself with bad people and eventually went to jail for about a year after multiple charges were stacked up against him over time. 

During his time in prison, he said he learned a lot about himself and promised himself to come out a different person.

After his time was up, Arroyo says he came out a changed man, and it was due to one main factor: his son.

“I didn’t lose anything but the time with my son,” Arroyo said.

During his time inside, he says he figured out it wasn’t a place he wanted to be, how to love himself and how to be a better role model for his son.

After he was released, he went back to one of the only things he knew: MMA.

MMA as an outlet

Before Arroyo went to prison, he was already training MMA at RDC Boxing (Respect, Discipline and Courage) in Fresno. He began training with the gym in 2022 and grew a close connection with the coaches there.

When Arroyo was sent to prison, not only did his family go visit him, but his coaches, Esteban Ceballos and Darian Perez, also went to visit him.

“My coaches are a big part of my life,” Arroyo said. “Not only as coaches but as my mentors and as father figures.”

Arroyo credits his coaches for helping him find his way back once he was released from prison and gave him an outlet and a route to go down.

He emphasized how RDC has changed his life and how he is now trying to pay it forward. RDC is not only focused on developing MMA fighters but teaching the youth of the Central Valley how to box and defend themselves.

So Arroyo says he’ll devote his time to helping teach some of the classes now and then.

“I try to influence [what RDC means] to the kids because everyone should have those characteristics,” Arroyo said.

The title shot

His time training at RDC has prepared Arroyo for whatever other fighters might throw at him. So much so that he’s been awarded a chance for the 559 Fights Featherweight belt. 

Arroyo says it was tough for him at first, especially seeing his teammate and 559 Fights Flyweight title holder Sajin Zacarias get his shot at the title.

His coaches and Zacarias were still by his side and told him to be patient.  Arroyo says Zacarias has been much more to him than a teammate, especially since joining RDC.

“He’s more like my brother,” Arroyo said. “I wouldn’t be here without him.”

Arroyo was also given a word of confidence from 559 Fights CEO Jeremy Luchau about eventually earning a title shot.

“Jeremy basically said ‘If you stay loyal to us, I’m gonna take care of you,’” Arroyo recalls.

Luchau stuck to his word and after Arroyo’s most recent win at 559 Fights 112, he was given the title shot for the vacant featherweight belt against German Taboada.

The two are rising stars as they both hold a 3-1 amateur record. 

Since Arroyo has been able to overcome so much, he’s not taking this title shot for granted.

“I never thought I’d be in this situation,” he said. “If I win this fight it would mean everything to me.”

Despite Arroyo’s respect for Taboada, he says he’s not letting anyone stand in his way of earning the belt.

“I’m gonna do anything in the fight to make sure I come out victorious,” Arroyo said. “I’m willing to die in that ring that night for that belt.”

For more information visit www.559fights.com

Contacts:

Jeremy Luchau, CEO – 559-813-0307

Antoine Hood, VP of Talent Acquisition – 760-977-6011

Michael Hernandez, PR Manager/Commentator - 559-672-9574

Sergio Romero, PR Coordinator - 559-577-2841 

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