Ryan Bader entered the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix as one of the favorites among the oddsmakers and one round in, he thinks he’s still a good bet.
Though Bader is actually competing outside of his natural weight class, his status as Bellator’s 205-pound champion made him a logical pick heading into the eight-man heavyweight tournament, and he lived up to even the loftiest expectations with a 15-second TKO of Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 199 in May. It was the fifth straight win for Bader, who next faces Matt Mitrione in the main event of Bellator 207 this Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.