Tag: Ryan Bader

Tito Ortiz Eyes Light Heavyweight Title Fight With Ryan Bader In 2019

Tito Ortiz has always been one step ahead of the game when it comes to business. Even at 44 years old, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” knows the right moves. Ortiz didn’t waste much time. Shortly after Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko last Saturday (Jan. 26, 2019) night to become the promotion’s first ever “double-champ”, […]

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Tito Ortiz has always been one step ahead of the game when it comes to business. Even at 44 years old, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” knows the right moves.

Ortiz didn’t waste much time. Shortly after Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko last Saturday (Jan. 26, 2019) night to become the promotion’s first ever “double-champ”, Ortiz took to social media to lay out his plans for 2019.

So I tune up fight with “chale” @ChaelSonnen than take the title from the champ @RyanBader. @BellatorMMA #2019

Of course, Bader will have a say in who he fights next. And if his comments to reporters backstage after his victory at Bellator 214 are any indication, he is more than open to a fight with Ortiz. Provided Ortiz “proves himself” in the cage.

“Hell, yeah,” Bader told reporters after the Paramount and DAZN-streamed headliner. “After I won the title, I was bugging him. He was at the bar, we were both there, and I was like, ‘Hey, you coming back, you coming back?’ He’s like ‘I’m done, man. I’m done.’ So, yeah, that’d be fun. He has to come back and definitely prove himself. Obviously, that’s a fight I don’t dwell on. But a fight I want to get back, all my losses. It’d be a fun a fight.”

Ortiz might not be the most attractive opponent for Bader but it’s not surprising that the sports newest “double-champ” would like the chance to avenge a previous loss. That, after all, is an opportunity not too often received.

“I would love it,” Bader said then. “I’m not a (expletive)-talking guy. I respect everyone in this sport. If I have to hear that name, and, ‘You’re pretty good – but you lost to Tito Ortiz back in 1994.’ That one I would like to get. If there’s one fight I would like to get back, it would be that one, for sure. I would love to fight him for sure. I’d put the belt on the line and everything if he wants to come in. That fight intrigues me.”

All this talk could be for not, however, as Bellator President Scott Coker seemed lukewarm to the promotion resigning “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”

“We have not had those conversations,” Coker said. “George, his manager, has reached out and we said, ‘Yeah, let’s talk after this fight is over.’ But we’ll see – fighting Chael, he’s already done that. And to me, like, why would you want to rehash that?

“And retirement after retirement – but, you know, if he wanted to fight again would we fight him? I’m not sure. That’s something we would decide if the opportunity came our direction. But we’re not that far down the road.”

Let us know what you think. Should Bellator re-sign Ortiz with the hopes of him challenging for the light heavyweight title sometime in 2019? Or should Bellator look for more suitable challengers?

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Bellator Will Give Ryan Bader Leeway To Defend Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Titles

Bellator MMA crowned its first-ever “Champ Champ” over the weekend. Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko to win the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. With the victory, Bader is the new heavyweight champion of Bellator. He already…

Bellator MMA crowned its first-ever “Champ Champ” over the weekend. Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko to win the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. With the victory, Bader is the new heavyweight champion of Bellator. He already held the promotion’s 205-pound championship. Now the question remains, how will Bader handle being a two-division champion of Bellator. […]

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Ryan Bader Not Thinking About UFC Return After Bellator 214

Ryan Bader is riding high after knocking out Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 214 last weekend (Jan. 26, 2019) and now the promotion’s first-ever “champ-champ” is looking toward the future. Bader, 35, has found his stride since leaving the UFC as a free agent back in 2017. “Darth” now hold both the promotions light heavyweight title […]

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Ryan Bader is riding high after knocking out Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 214 last weekend (Jan. 26, 2019) and now the promotion’s first-ever “champ-champ” is looking toward the future.

Bader, 35, has found his stride since leaving the UFC as a free agent back in 2017. “Darth” now hold both the promotions light heavyweight title and the heavyweight strap. He hopes to become the first double champ in MMA history to actually defend both titles. Time will tell.

In order for Bader to defend both titles, he would need to reign with the Viacom owned promotion and forego free agency altogether. That, however, is exactly what the sports newest “champ-champ” is thinking about doing.

“No, I want to do a new deal now,” Bader said on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show earlier today. “I have one fight left, I have the champion’s clause or whatever, in my contract. Two-division champion, light heavyweight belt, heavyweight belt; if they want me to do something in particular, defend the heavyweight belt or whatnot. Let’s get a new deal done. I have been having a great time with Bellator and I want to stay there. But that has to happen first,” he said.

Bader came under some criticisms from fans for “not being able to get the job done in the UFC.” While it may be true that Bader never earned a 205-pound title shot in his eight years with the company, he never really got much of a push from the promotion either.

Looking Out For His Interests

All he has done since leaving the UFC is go 5-0, collect two championships, and win the World Heavyweight Grand Prix. He has done all that while taking very little if any damage. So it isn’t surprising that “Darth” is happy with his current employer.

“It’s a selfish sport and you are in business for yourself. Obviously, I have been treated well and I think I am going to be treated very well after this with Bellator. I haven’t really had those thoughts,” he added, regarding a UFC return.

“We are going to come to the table and go through all the hoopla with that. If they make me really happy…literally, I have no regrets and not even thinking about that at all. I’m happy where I am at and definitely hoping I can get it done”

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Ryan Bader May Have Just Ended Fedor Emelianenko’s MMA Career For Good

Bellator 214 this past Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, California, may have featured the last 35 seconds in the famed career of “The Last Emperor.” That’s all the time Ryan Bader needed to brutally knock out Fedor Emelianenk…

Bellator 214 this past Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, California, may have featured the last 35 seconds in the famed career of “The Last Emperor.” That’s all the time Ryan Bader needed to brutally knock out Fedor Emelianenko, capturing the Bellator World Heavyweight Grand Prix and Bellator Heavyweight Championships. Bader is now a […]

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Chael Sonnen Issues Challenge To Ryan Bader

Chael Sonnen issues a challenge in order to fight Bellator light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Ryan Bader inside of the cage. This comes after Bader’s biggest win thus far in his pro-MMA career. As seen in the main event of Bellator 208 on October 13, 2018 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on […]

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Chael Sonnen issues a challenge in order to fight Bellator light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Ryan Bader inside of the cage. This comes after Bader’s biggest win thus far in his pro-MMA career.

As seen in the main event of Bellator 208 on October 13, 2018 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on the Paramount Network, Fedor Emelianenko was able to score a first round TKO win over Sonnen.

Sonnen was able to pick up a decision win over former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson at Bellator 192 at The Forum in Inglewood, California in January 2018 to move forward in the tournament.

“The American Gangster” laid down the challenge to Bader when he wrote the following in a tweet that has since been deleted:

“3 left hooks then we start the fight. I still take your belt Bader. Quit calling out bums.”

Sonnen would later post another message to Bader that has remained up on his official Twitter account:

“Tnx for accepting. Wanna do it before or after your mom gets outta prison?”

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Chael Sonnen Challenges Ryan Bader Following Bellator 214

Chael Sonnen sees an opportunity at Bellator gold. Last night (Jan. 26), history was made at Bellator 214. Bader became the first fighter in Bellator history to hold two titles simultaneously. He knocked out Fedor Emelianenko in 35 seconds to become th…

Chael Sonnen sees an opportunity at Bellator gold. Last night (Jan. 26), history was made at Bellator 214. Bader became the first fighter in Bellator history to hold two titles simultaneously. He knocked out Fedor Emelianenko in 35 seconds to become the heavyweight champion. Bader holds light heavyweight and heavyweight gold. Sonnen Calls For a […]

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