Ryan Bader took the road less traveled to mixed martial arts stardom, as he traded in his Ultimate Fighting Championship membership card for a free-agent move to Bellator MMA. Three years and two divisional championships later, it appears as though he made a wise choice.
Bader will defend his light heavyweight crown against the surging Vadim Nemkov in the Bellator 244 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. It marks his first title defense at 205 pounds since he stopped Linton Vassell with punches in November 2017, the Reno, Nevada, native’s absence owing to his participation in the 2018-19 Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix—a tournament he ultimately won to become the promotion’s first-ever simultaneous two-division titleholder. Bader last appeared at Bellator 226, where an inadvertent eye poke allowed him to retain his heavyweight championship in a no contest with Cheick Kongo on Sept. 7.
In a career marked by defining moments, here are five that stand out for Bader:
1. On a Rampage
Bader utilized a steady diet of strong clinch work, takedowns and ground-and-pound to defeat an overweight Quinton Jackson by unanimous decision in the UFC 144 co-main event on Feb. 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. “The Ultimate Fighter 8” winner swept the scorecards by identical 30-27 counts to re-establish himself as a factor in the 205-pound division. For the most part, Bader kept himself out of harm’s way, content to allow Jackson to empty his gas tank with power punches that grew more and more desperate as the fight deepened. However, the former light heavyweight champion delivered one of his trademark Pride Fighting Championships-era slams in the second round, where he caught an ill-advised knee from Bader in the clinch, hoisted him skyward and dumped him awkwardly on his head and shoulder. Bader recovered and returned to work, securing takedowns with more and more frequency. He brought the fading Jackson to the ground again in Round 3, shifted to side control before settling in half guard and dropping elbows and punches.
2. Not Ready to Rumble
Anthony Johnson turned Bader to mush in the span of 86 seconds. Keeping his place near the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division, “Rumble” waylaid Bader with punches in the first round of their UFC on Fox 18 headliner on Jan. 30, 2016 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Referee Keith Peterson swooped into save an already unconscious Bader from further abuse 1:26 into Round 1. A tactical error sent Bader tumbling into the abyss. He lunged for a single-leg takedown from too far out inside the first minute and put himself in a disadvantageous position beneath a sprawling Johnson. The scene went from bad to worse for Bader. Johnson wheeled out of the sprawl, moved to the back and eventually advanced to full mount, his counterpart clinging to a hopeless kimura. The Dublin, Georgia, native freed his arm when Bader surrendered his back and uncorked a series of punishing blows for the finish.
3. Road Warrior
It bordered on cruel and unusual punishment. Bader won for the seventh time in eight outings and remained near the top of the light heavyweight pecking order, as he disposed of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira with third-round ground-and-pound in the UFC Fight Night 100 main event on Nov. 19, 2016 at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Nogueira met his end 3:51 into Round 3. A replacement for the injured Alexander Gustafsson, Bader showed the Brazilian no mercy, as one takedown after another was followed by brutal ground-and-pound. Elbows, punches and hammerfists were all on the menu, as he slowly chipped away at Nogueira’s legendary resolve. Bader took it back to the mat inside the first minute of the third round, postured in half guard and let the punches and hammerfists go until referee Mario Yamasaki had seen enough.
4. Gold Rush
In his first appearance since flying the Ultimate Fighting Championship coop, Bader laid claim to the Bellator MMA light heavyweight crown with a split decision over Phil Davis at Bellator 180 on June 24, 2017. Scores were 49-46 and 49-46 for Bader, 48-47 for Davis. The rematch—Bader had also beating “Mr. Wonderful” by split decision at UFC on Fox 14 two years prior—covered five forgettable rounds that saw neither man seize the moment. They were met with boos from those an attendance, the lack of meaningful action prompting referee Dan Miragliotta to admonish both champion and challenger at one point. Nevertheless, it represented a measure of validation for Bader, who finally strapped a major MMA title to his waist.
5. A Crumbling Empire
When they write the final account of Bader’s stellar mixed martial arts career, it figures to be one the centerpieces of the story. The two-time NCAA All-American wrestler became the first simultaneous two-division titleholder in Bellator MMA history, as he obliterated Fedor Emelianenko with punches in the first round of their Bellator 214 headliner on Jan. 26, 2019 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Bader brought the final of the Scott Coker-led company’s heavyweight grand prix to a rousing conclusion 35 seconds into Round 1. Already the promotion’s light heavyweight champion, he now finds himself in possession of the heavyweight crown, as well. The shopworn Emelianenko was made to look like little more than a prop. Bader circled briefly and then floored the Russian icon with a lead left hook. Emelianenko hit the deck and was in no condition to defend himself, as his opponent shoveled a devastating standing-to-ground right uppercut into his face. Referee Mike Beltran arrived on the scene an instant later to prevent further carnage.