Champ Ryan Bader Staying With Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA light heavyweight and heavyweight kingpin Ryan Bader inks a multi-year deal with Bellator MMA on Tuesday, MMAFighting has first confirmed the news. “Darth” is currently 5-0 under Bellator promotion.
As for what’s next for Bader, Bellator CEO Scott Coker said earlier this week that he’s working on to book Bader vs. Kongo and the time frame is sometime this summer. (h/t MMAJunkie)
“Ryan will stay at heavyweight for his next fight, and he will fight the No. 1 contender that is Cheick Kongo. That fight will probably happen in the fall, or late summertime something like August or September. That fight will happen, and then Josh will probably fight the winner of the two.”
Bader won the light heavyweight title back in June 2017 where he scored a split decision win over Phil Davis. In 2018 “Darth” capture the heavyweight title after knocking out Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko in the finale of the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. Ryan holds notable wins over the likes of Muhammed Lawal and Matt Mitrione.
