The ancient assumption that nice guys finish last is tired and worn out. Boring guys finish last. Non-intuitive guys finish last. Ryan Bader was tired of being overlooked. So he changed things up. He became more exciting and intuitive.
He became the ultimate opportunist.
Daniel Cormier sat onstage at the UFC 187 post-fight press conference in all of his glee, moments after defeating Anthony “Rumble” Johnson for the vacant light heavyweight title. It was the culmination of his life’s work. After missing out on Olympic gold and an NCAA Division I title, Cormier had finally left his mark on history by capturing a UFC championship.
The joyous atmosphere at the press conference was untainted, even in the absence of former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones. Cormier was in a joking, lighthearted mood. He specifically joked about having an “oh s–t” moment after getting rocked with a punch early in the fight. Even Johnson joined in on the gag, poking fun at the size of Cormier‘s head.
Meanwhile, Bader stood in the background, biding his time amid the warm, friendly exchanges.
Cormier would eventually get the “what’s next” question. The new champ would then have to talk about the future and potential challengers in front of him.
Bader had already set the wheels in motion for the public confrontation on Twitter. (Warning: Tweet contains NSFW language.)
When the question finally came, it was like someone turned off a light in the room.
Cormier‘s mood went from giddy to completely agitated. Before Saturday night, Jones was the only man to ever get under Cormier‘s skin.
But the former Olympian’s post-fight blow up at Bader sparked a new feud:
I would love to compete against [Jon Jones], but he’s going to be away for a while. So we’ve got to shift our focus. There’s somebody else that needs his ass kicked, too. I think he’s around here. Yeah, it’s Ryan Bader‘s ass, and I’m going to beat the s–t out of him next time.
Keep talking Bader. This guy’s so disrespectful. I’m trying to fight Anthony Johnson, and Ryan Bader is writing me stupid messages on Twitter because he wants people to think he deserves a title shot.
(Warning: Video contains NSFW language.)
Bader yelled from the back of the room at Cormier before power-walking to the podium. A shouting match ensued between the light heavyweight stars, and Bader was escorted out of the room by security. The verbal sparring match brought new hope to a moribund division clinging to life without its biggest star.
Bader‘s recent run isn’t that impressive from a contender’s perspective. His biggest victory in a four-fight win streak came against Phil Davis in a highly controversial split decision in January.
However, Bader‘s lackluster resume will likely go unnoticed due to timing. Simply put, there aren’t any active contenders more worthy than Bader at the moment. Alexander Gustafsson and Johnson are both coming off losses, Jones is tied up with legal issues and Rashad Evans hasn’t fought since Georges St-Pierre was a UFC champion.
The impeccable timing of an ultimate opportunist stole the show Saturday night, and it likely earned Bader his first crack at UFC gold.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.
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