It has been a trying couple of years for Ryan Bader, but 2022 is off to a good start — undisputedly.
In the main event of Bellator 273 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., the Bellator MMA heavyweight champ took a closely contested unanimous decision over interim titleholder Valentin Moldavsky. With the win, “Darth” reaffirms ownership of his remaining belt and closes the chapter on a light heavyweight sojourn that consumed the last two years of his career and saw him go 1-2 with two bad knockout losses as he lost that title and was bounced from the light heavyweight grand prix.