According to UFC president Dana White, another big name UFC fighter is on his way to Bellator. Speaking with USA Today Sports, White announced that the company won’t be matching the offer sheet Ryan Bader recently signed with Bellator, meaning the top light heavyweight contender is free to bolt to the UFC’s top competitor.
“We had told Ryan Bader he was good to go,” White says. “We knew he was going to go to Bellator the entire time. I think Bellator is a good place for Ryan Bader. At this point in his career, I think it’s the right move for him.”
Bader told Ariel Helwani last week on The MMA Hour that Bellator and the UFC were the only two promotions he was considering working for, so it appears like his move to Bellator is more-than-likely a done deal. The 33-year-old will leave the UFC with a 15-5 record inside the octagon, along with the TUF 8 championship. However, while being a top contender for the majority of his eight years in the UFC, he was never able to secure a title shot.
That shouldn’t be as difficult in Bellator, as he already owns a win over current champion Phil Davis. But the division does have quite a few big name opponents for him outside of Davis, include former champ Liam McGeary, recently retired Tito Ortiz (would he be willing to come back to rematch Bader), Rampage Jackson, and King Mo.
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