The next stop for former Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion is now known, as it appears he is signing with Japanese MMA promotion RIZIN.
Bader appeared at the Rizin: Otoko Matsuri event held at the Tokyo Dome on May 4, announcing plans to take on the winner of the RIZIN Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament. Such a fight would take place at the end of this year at RIZIN's annual New Year's Eve card.
This will be Bader's first MMA fight since his 21-second TKO loss to Renan Ferreira at the PFL vs. Bellator Champions vs. Champions card in February 2024. Bader officially parted ways with the PFL in March, two months after it was officially announced that the PFL was folding the Bellator brand. The PFL had formally purchased Bellator MMA in November 2023.
Ryan Bader To Fight In RIZIN On New Year's Eve
Bader won the Bellator heayvweight championship by winning the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix held from January 2018-January 2019. The tournament saw Bader defeat Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Matt Mitrione and Fedor Emelianenko to become champion. Bader became the first Bellator heavyweight champion since Vitaly Minakov was formally stripped of the title in 2016 and became the first double champion in Bellator history.
Bader defended the heavyweight title against Cheick Kongo, Valentin Moldavsky and Emelianenko before Bellator's purchase by the PFL.
Bader was also the light heavyweight champion at one point, winning the title in his Bellator debut at Bellator 180. He'd defend that title against Linton Vassell before losing the title to Vadim Nemkov.
The eight-man RIZIN Heavyweight Grand Prix began at the May 4 event, which saw Marek Samociuk defeat Daniel James, José Augusto Azevedo best Tsuyoshi Sudario and Mikio Ueda beat Shoma Shibisai. The remaining quarterfinal will take place between Islambek Baktybek Uulu and Alexander Soldatkin.