Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Bader Time
Left out of the title picture during his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ryan Bader now has two belts to call his own in Bellator MMA.
The Power MMA Team representative made promotional history at Bellator 214, when he stopped Fedor Emelianenko in 35 seconds to win the heavyweight grand prix and capture the vacant heavyweight title. Bader easily dispatched Emelianenko, Matt Mitrione and Muhammed Lawal in the bracket to become the first two-division champion in the history of the California-based promotion.
Bader, who is also the light heavyweight champion, seems to like the idea of defending both titles, and Bellator also seems open to allowing the Arizonan to reign over two divisions. While his next step is currently unclear, Bader has won 12 of his last 13 contests. That run of success has allowed him to enter the Sherdog.com heavyweight rankings for the first time at No. 10, replacing Fabricio Werdum, who is currently serving a two-year USADA suspension. With Werdum exiting the list, Philipe Lins, Professional Fighters League champion and winner of four in a row, joins the heavyweight bubble.
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