Ryan Bader is flat-out fired up. The surging contender has his sights set on a bout with newly crowned light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, and he’s going to keep pressing until he gets what he wants.
Friction between the two men has continued to build in recent months, but the animosity between the Phoenix-based powerhouse and Cormier hit a fever pitch at the post-fight press conference for UFC 187 on Saturday night. Bader was in attendance hoping to speak with UFC President Dana White about what could come next on his road through the ranks of the 205-pound fold, and he believes his presence inspired the newly minted title holder to launch some shots in his direction.
Those taunts enraged the Power MMA leader, and a heated exchange quickly followed.
(Warning: Language in video not safe for work.)
“I was there with my wife to enjoy the fights, and then I was meeting my manager Dave Martin at the press conference because I thought maybe Dana White would be there, and I would be able to talk to him about what is next for me,” Bader said in an exclusive interview. “I went in there and all of a sudden Cormier and I kind of locked eyes a little bit, then all of a sudden I get called out by D.C. He started saying I was being disrespectful and all that stuff, and he had a microphone up on the stage and kept going on and on.
“He called me the easiest fight in the 205-pound division. I didn’t have a mic so I was shouting at him, and I was fired up. The next thing I know I’m walking towards the podium, and I just wanted to slap that dude right then and there. That’s what happened there at the press conference. I didn’t think anything like that would happen, but it did.”
While the verbal sparring between the two made headlines throughout the MMA community, the Power MMA leader suggests that tensions existed long before their verbal dustup this past weekend in Las Vegas. The former Arizona State University wrestling standout and the former two-time Olympian have been paired up to scrap on two previous occasions, but circumstances arose that stunted their eventual collision.
Their most recent scheduled meeting in the main event at Fight Night 68 in New Orleans was scratched due to the AKA representative being tapped to replace Jon Jones against Anthony Johnson for the vacant light heavyweight crown at UFC 187. And while Bader understands why Cormier wouldn’t turn down that caliber of opportunity, he’s not entirely sure the exact reason why he was the recipient in the first place.
With the Louisiana native having just been defeated by Bones in his most recent outing, and having what Bader considers one of the weakest resumes in the division, the 31-year-old season eight winner of The Ultimate Fighter believes Cormier has enjoyed a comfortable journey to the top of the 205-pound collective. Nevertheless, he’s determined to make sure he’s the next challenger on deck and feels mixing it up with Cormier has been a long time in the making.
“We were scheduled to fight, and I’ve been watching tape on this guy and thinking about fighting him forever,” Bader said. “Right after I beat Phil Davis I knew we were going to fight, and I started thinking about him then. That was back in January, and we were supposed to fight another time before that. We had the bout agreement signed and everything, and then he went and fought Dan Henderson.
“He’s had the easiest road and a lot of luck getting this title. He fought Patrick Cummins and then fought a middleweight in Dan Henderson. Then he gets a shot and loses to the guy who rightfully had the belt and is still in a lot of people’s mind the champion in Jon Jones. Then he lucks out and gets another shot against somebody else. For me, the logical next step is to fight Cormier, and it’s something I want more than anything.”
While Bader is currently pleading his case to be granted the next shot at the light heavyweight strap, the current landscape of the divisional title race and his recent string of successful outings give him a solid case for making that happen. Bader has won four consecutive bouts, and the only other top-ranked fighter with a winning streak at the current time is an opponent he recently defeated in Ovince Saint Preux.
The heavy-handed veteran believes a bout with Cormier is the only logical step for the UFC take, and that belief is further bolstered with the champion also stating it’s the fight he wants next. Therefore, Bader feels the UFC has an easy decision to make and wants it to make the showdown official in quick fashion.
“Cormier went in there and won, so that’s awesome. Congrats to him, but now it’s time to do what was originally slated and make our fight happen,” Bader said. “I’m ranked No. 3 right now, and I’m on a four-fight winning streak. None of the other fighters in the top five can say that. He even said he wanted to fight me and said, ‘Let’s do this,’ so what is the UFC waiting for? Let’s book this thing, get a date and we can start getting after it. This fight is the only logical thing.
“I’m not backing off on this because this is the only fight that makes sense,” he added. “I would love to go in there and fight him in August or September, but that decision is in his court because he’s obviously the champion. I don’t care when it happens—I just want that fight.”
While the potential to become the next UFC light heavyweight champion is certainly part of Bader‘s motivation, he’s also quick to admit there are personal motives at play as well. The tension that was on display at the post-fight press conference for UFC 187 was a very real situation and something that has been bubbling up for quite some time between the two men.
While Bader is eager to step into the cage and trade leather with Cormier, he’s equally just as fired up to have the opportunity to make the 36-year-old California transplant eat his words. The Nevada native has grown tired of what he sees as Cormier running off at the mouth, and he intends to do everything he can to silence him once and for all.
“The guy doesn’t shut up,” Bader said. “He loves to hear himself talk. You saw that right away on Saturday because he comes to the press conference and demands to be addressed as ‘the champ’ and not D.C. or Daniel. He was saying all that goofy stuff, and things just kind of went on from there. To be honest, I just want to fight Cormier. It’s awesome that it would be for a title, but I just want to go in there and shut his big mouth. He’s the most arrogant champ and the least deserving in my opinion.
“Cormier already said he wants to fight me, so what are we waiting for? Let’s go in there and settle this. I guarantee the UFC and the fans I am going to go out there and lay it all on the line. I’m going to make it an exciting fight, and I’m going to look to stop D.C. and earn the respect of everybody because I don’t want anyone saying I don’t deserve this or that. I want people to know I’m the champ for a reason because I went in there and took it away from Cormier.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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