Tag: Ryan Bader

Ryan Bader finds himself in a very familiar position against Ovince Saint Preux at UFC Fight Night 47. He’s been here before, but hasn’t been able to get past the realm of the gatekeeper.

The former Division I All-American wrestler has another chance to stake a claim as a legit title challenger, something Bader has had the chance to do earlier in his career on three occasions.

Following his thunderous KO win over Vinny Magalhaes to win The Ultimate Fighter, Bader went on a nice streak where he won four straight inside the Octagon.  

Included in those wins was a highlight-reel KO of Keith Jardine and a win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119. Following the win over Nogueira, Bader was slotted in a fight with another contender, Jon “Bones” Jones.

Both men had become surging contenders and in a rare move by the UFC, the promotion matched up the pair of prospects. Bader had gained notoriety from his time on TUF and had become a staple of the upper half of the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

Jones meanwhile came into the UFC with little fanfare until he completely wrecked Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94. The future UFC light heavyweight champ would follow that up by leaving a path of destruction that featured highlight-reel finishes in each of his wins.

Even in his loss to Matt Hamill, Jones looked like he was on another level.

Up to this point in his career, Bader was the typical wrestler who had knockout power in his hands that we’ve seen so many times before in MMA. But despite having heavy hands, Bader hadn’t developed the technical skills to apply the KO power.

Unable to secure a takedown or land the one-punch knockout, Bader was simply outclassed against Jones.

It wouldn’t get any better for Bader in his next fight as he was blown away by Tito Ortiz at UFC 132. Perhaps this is where Bader hit his lowest point during his UFC career because since the loss to Ortiz, Bader has looked like a much better fighter.

He rebounded with a KO victory over Jason Brilz and added a strong showing against former Pride and UFC champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Once again, Bader found himself on the cusp of a title shot.

All he had to do was the seemingly impossible, solve the “Machida Puzzle.” Facing off against former UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida, Bader had another opportunity to stamp his ticket to a title shot.

Instead, Bader once again found himself failing to achieve the golden ticket. This time Bader was knocked out in the second round by the Brazilian. 

After defeating Vladimir Matyushenko in his next contest, Bader found himself in another chance to rise to title contender. He enjoyed some initial success, rocking Glover Teixeira but was eventually knocked out after coming in too aggressive.

Now, Bader once again has another chance to prove he’s not in Michael Bisping territory. Bader has shown the ability to take out the mid-tier fighters in the division, but hasn’t been able to defeat that top level of opponent.

OSP certainly isn’t a top contender at the moment but he has won five straight in the Octagon and much like Bader‘s clash with Jones, UFC Fight Night 47 features a clash of rising contenders. Bader has looked extremely impressive in his recent wins, especially the fight with Anthony Perosh.

But it will all be for not if Bader cannot capitalize on the opportunity presented to him.

He’ll have a national-television audience to view and with no other card scheduled around the same time frame, all eyes of the UFC brass will be focused on UFC Fight Night 47.

Teetering on the edge of his athletic prime, it could be Bader‘s last opportunity to become a top contender. Losing to guys like Jones, Machida and Teixeira is one thing. He cannot afford to lose in another high profile fight if the former Ultimate Fighter winner wants to add UFC champion to his legacy. 

 

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Ovince Saint Preux may very well be the best-kept secret in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

The former University of Tennessee football standout turned mixed martial artist has been quietly climbing his way up the competitive ranks of the 205-pound weight class. While “OSP” put himself on the map by winning six out of his seven showings under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner, the four consecutive victories the 31-year-old has notched inside the Octagon have him knocking on the door to much bigger things.

Throughout his time on the sport’s biggest stage, Saint Preux has put his diverse skill set on display. The Knoxville representative has shown the ability to end fights abruptly with his ever-improving stand-up game, and his submission skills have been a nightmare for the opposition when the action hits the canvas. He’s won 13 of his last 14 outings with his five most recent victories all ending by way of finish. 

That caliber of consistency and success has Saint Preux on the verge of breaking through to the next level of the light heavyweight division, and he’ll have the opportunity to cement his place among the elite at 205-pounds when he faces Ryan Bader at Fight Night 47 on Aug. 16. Bader has been a staple in the divisional fold since winning the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, and a victory over the Power MMA leader would make it difficult to argue Saint Preux‘s place on the divisional hierarchy.

It’s the biggest fight of his career, in a headlining slot against a top ranked opponent, and Saint Preux has every intention of rising to the challenge.

“I’m excited for this fight,” Saint Preux told Bleacher Report. “I’m not going to lie…I didn’t expect this, but the best things in life are the things you don’t expect. 

“I think this is a great matchup. He has power in his hands and I do too. I also have power in my feet and I know the things he’s eventually going to go for. With me, you don’t know what I’m going to go for or when I’m going to go for them. If I want to go for the takedown, I think I can take him down if I want to. But at the same time, I think he’s going to have a hard time taking me down.”

The matchup between Saint Preux and Bader has heavy implications as to which of the two men will remain in the competitive mix in the light heavyweight fold, but it is also an interesting stylistic clash as well. Both fighters are athletes who transitioned from a different sport to become successful mixed martial artists, and their respective skill sets have been on a continuous trajectory of improvement.

Where Saint Preux left the gridiron to throw leather inside the cage, the Phoenix-based Bader used his wrestling foundation as a base to develop additional skills. Both fighters have established dangerous power in their striking games, and Saint Preux believes their upcoming matchup could very well be determined to how things play out on the feet.

That said, if his time in the UFC has proven anything, it’s that Saint Preux is not the easiest fighter to predict when the cage door closes. The Tennessee native is dangerous wherever the fight goes and prides himself on keeping his opponents guessing throughout. Yet while Saint Preux may be a difficult riddle to solve from his opponent’s point of view, he will come into his fight against Bader with a game plan to follow. And if he’s able to stick to the plan, the victory he’s visualized in his mind will become a reality.

“I want to be a surprise in there,” Saint Preux said. “That’s what I’m shooting for. I want to be the fighter where people think I’m going to come out and do one thing, but then I surprise everyone by doing something else. My goal is to never be the same fighter I was the last time out. When I fight Ryan [Bader] I’m not going to be the same person that stepped in there and fought [Ryan] Jimmo.

“I most definitely have the reach advantage over him, and that’s one of the things I’m going to try to capitalize on. His boxing has come a long way, but my boxing has come a really long way too. I’m going to come in there with a good game plan and stick to it. If this fight ends up being a stand up battle, I think it’s going to come down to whoever lands the cleanest punch first.

“It feels great to be where I’m at right now in my career and I’m out to accomplish the goals I’ve set,” he added. “I’ve given up a lot to get here to where I’m at in my mixed martial arts career. I’ve always told myself if I do the things I need to do, I am going to accomplish my goals. It’s almost like a Law of Attraction type of deal. In my mind, I’ve won the fight already. I know what I need to do, and if I follow the game plan, I’m going to come out with the victory. I’ve already won the fight in my mind, and I need to go out and execute on Saturday night to make it happen.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. 

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