#7
Ryan Bader
Summary: Division I All American Wrestler, Heavy hands
Fighter Info
Nickname: | Darth |
From: | Reno, Nevada USA |
Fights Out Of: | Tempe, AZ |
Age: | 27 |
Height: | 6' 2" ( 187 cm ) |
Weight: | 205 lb ( 93 kg ) |
College: | Arizona State University |
Degree: | Justice & Social Inquiry |
Ryan Bader's UFC career began as a contestant on season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter. Bader, the first light heavyweight selected by coach Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, went on to win his first 3 fights on the show to fight with Vinicius Magalhães on December 13, 2008 at The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale.
At the finale, Bader defeated Magalhães by way of a quick, first-round knockout, earning the title of "The Ultimate Fighter" and winning the traditional "six-figure UFC contract". An overhand right dropped Magalhães, and Bader up with strikes on the ground to take the win less than halfway through the first frame.
Ryan Bader's next fight was at UFC Fight Night 18 against Carmelo Marrero, whom he scored a clear unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) over. During the match, Bader tore his medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament, which kept him sidelined until the next fall.
Shortly after the Marrero fight, Ryan Bader along alongside fellow Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Efrain Escudero in the UFC's sixth video game, UFC 2009 Undisputed. He and Escudero were available through special code obtained by pre-ordering the game from Gamestop.[5] On September 10, 2009, he and Escudero were made available for download on PlayStation Network and Xbox 360 Marketplace.
Bader returned against Eric Schafer on October 24, 2009, at UFC 104. The fight was mainly dominated by Bader, who scored with a powerful attack of combinations standing and controlled the grappling, en route a unanimous decision victory (29–26, 30–27 and 30–27).[6]
Next for Bader was Keith Jardine, who he fought on February 21, 2010 at the UFC's debut effort in Australia, UFC 110.[7] Bader scored a sharp jab on the tiring Jardine, which set up for a with a flying knee to the chest and a left hook at 2:10 of the third round to secure Jardine's third consecutive UFC loss.
Along with Jesse Forbes, C.B. Dollaway, Eric Larkin and Aaron Simpson, Bader left Arizona Combat Sports to train at the Lion's Den MMA academy in Scottsdale, Arizona in May 2010, though they have since left Ken Shamrock's Lion's Den to train at their newly opened gym Power MMA And Fitness.[8]
The Arizonan secured a five-fight UFC win streak at the expense of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119, controlling him most of the fight with his wrestling and using his jab and short combinations to stop much of Pan American medalist's offense. All three judges scored the fight 30–27 for Bader.[9]
Four months after his victory over Nogueira, Bader fought fellow rising prospect Jon Jones on February 5, 2011, at UFC 126,[10] where he received the first loss of his MMA career after tapping to a modified guillotine choke in the second round which became the submission of the night.
Bader is expected to face Tito Ortiz on July 2, 2011 at UFC 132.[11]
[edit] Personal life
