Ryan Bader looked strong in his return to the Octagon last night, taking out Jason Brilz with a big right hand halfway through the first round.
Obviously this was an impressive performance by a man who was in desperate need of a victory, but there’s something that needs to be stopped before it even starts.
Ryan Bader is not “back”, and he needs to win at least another fight or two before he is considered a contender again.
Mixed Martial Arts may be the ultimate “What have you done for me lately?” sport, as evidenced by people already forgetting how average Bader looked against Tito Ortiz and Jon Jones earlier this year, much like they proclaimed Ortiz as “back” after his win over Bader this July.
Ortiz ended up taking a fight against light heavyweight title contender Rashad Evans on short notice and lost just a month after resurrecting his career, and if he is unsuccessful against Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 140 in a few weeks he’ll be right back on the verge of unemployment.
While the comparison between Ortiz and Bader makes sense to a degree, it ends when you realize that Bader has neither the prestige, nor the draw power that Tito possesses.
Bader needs to be extremely careful in making sure his next matchup is a winnable fight and a well-known opponent, or he may find himself back on a losing streak and out of a job in early 2012.
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