5 Defining Moments: Ryan Bader

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Whether he’s fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship or Bellator MMA, Ryan Bader has always been viewed as an exceptional talent. Bellator’s first simultaneous two-division champ is scheduled to defend his heavyweight strap on Sept. 7 in San Jose, California. Apart from his tournament and title-winning performances, here are some of his other career-defining moments ahead of Bellator 226.

Early Dominance

With outstanding wrestling credentials, Bader was expected to do well while making the transition into mixed martial arts. True enough, the former Division I wrester did not disappoint. He made his presence felt early in his career as he went on a seven-fight winning streak, which included five finishes in the first round. Only one of those seven victories came by decision. That impressive run paved the way for his UFC career.

Building Momentum

Bader’s winning run did not only last in the regional circuit -- his wrestling brilliance stretched onto the biggest stage of them all. The native of Tempe, Arizona, made his Octagon debut against Vinny Magalhaes at The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale. He wasn’t able to take the respected jiu-jitsu black belt down, but that’s partly because he finished the fight early by knocking out his opponent. After that, however, he utilized his wrestling much more, averaging four takedowns in his next four outings. With this early success in the UFC, he extended his undefeated streak to 12.

First Big Fish

UFC 119 was a monumental event for Bader and his team. He was set to face Antônio Rogério Nogueira, a fighter who had a wealth of experience fighting mostly in Pride. This was a man who had scored victories over the likes of Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem (twice), Kazushi Sakuraba and Guy Mezger. However, Bader shut him down during all three rounds to earn the judges’ nods. It marked only the fourth time Bader had heard the final bell. He would go on to beat Nogueira again at UFC Fight Night 110, this time, by TKO.

Facing a Legend

When Bader met Tito Ortiz in 2011, the latter was an aging fighter seemingly on his way out after going winless in his last five outings. He was in fact, a year away from being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. On paper, Bader seemed to have this one in the bag but Ortiz had other plans. In a major upset, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” choked out the much younger Bader at 1:56 of the first round.

Quick Submission

Coming into UFC on Fox 6, Bader had only had two submission victories, and both were outside the UFC. Against dangerous veteran Vladimir Matyushenko, however, he sank in a tight guillotine choke that ended the fight at 0:50 of the very first round. Not only did Bader score his first submission in the UFC, but he also earned a well-deserved Submission of the Night bonus.