It’s been almost two years since Ryan Bader made the decision to join Bellator MMA, and he hasn’t had any reason to look back.
The 35-year-old is 3-0 in his new trappings after making his debut at Bellator 180 in June 2017 at the promotion’s Madison Square Garden debut. There, he faced Phil Davis for a second time — their first meeting took place in the UFC — and once again Bader beat Davis by decision to claim the promotion’s 205-pound title. His first defense ended in a dominant TKO victory over Linton Vassell and he’s currently making his way through the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix after needing just 15 seconds to punch out Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in the quarterfinals.