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Ryan Bader says he will rematch Cheick Kongo and fight Rampage Jackson after bizarre Bellator 226
Ryan Bader makes it very clear he is not scared of Cheick Kongo and will rematch him after he defends his light heavyweight title. In the main event of Bellator 226 last September, Bader was looking for his first title defense at heavyweight against Kongo. Early on the champ-champ was having success yet there was […]
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Ryan Bader eyes light heavyweight title defense against Lyoto Machida if Vadim Nemkov can’t get into the States
Ryan Bader was expected to defend his light heavyweight title on May 9 against Russian contender, Vadim Nemkov. Yet, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic leaving Bader uncertain when he’ll defend his 205-pound strap next. Bader, who has not fought since September against Cheick Kongo in a controversial no-contest, is eager to […]
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Bellator postpones three events including card headlined by Ryan Bader
Bellator announced on Monday that it is postponing three of its upcoming events including a card that was set to be headlined by double champ Ryan Bader. Most sports leagues around the world have postponed their upcoming cards due to the coronavirus outbreak, and Bellator will not buck the trend. While UFC president Dana White […]
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Ryan Bader to defend light heavyweight title at Bellator 243 against Vadim Nemkov
Ryan Bader will look to defend his light heavyweight title for the first time since November of 2017. On the Bellator 238 broadcast, Bader announced he will battle Vadim Nemkov on May 9 in San Jose, California at Bellator 243. The champ-champ recently revealed he was going to defend the light heavyweight title on social […]
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Ryan Bader to defend Bellator light heavyweight title in April
Bellator champ-champ Ryan Bader will take a break from the heavyweight division as he moves back down to light heavyweight to defend his belt there in April. Bader himself announced Tuesday on his Instagram that he will be moving back down to 205lbs to defend his light heavyweight title. An opponent, date, or venue were […]
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VIDEO | Jiri Prochazka decimates UFC veteran CB Dollaway, gets called out by Ryan Bader
CB Dollaway’s RIZIN debut, which went down on Tuesday’s action-packed RIZIN 20 card, didn’t go the way he had planned. Instead, the 20-fight UFC veteran was decimated by the promotion’s ferocious light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka in the first round. See Prochazka’s crushing knockout victory below (via Kyle Johnson on Twitter). Literal and figurative kicks […]
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Ryan Bader will defend both Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight titles in 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker says that Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader will defend both of his belts in 2020. Bader is coming off of a No Contest against Cheick Kongo in his first Bellator heavyweight title defense. He spent all of 2019 up at heavyweight, and hasn’t fought at light heavyweight since […]
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Tank Abbott tried to brawl Ryan Bader after Cheick Kongo fight
Shortly after Ryan Bader and Cheick Kongo’s Bellator 226 title fight was ruled a no contest due to an inadvertent eye poke, Bader and Kongo’s training partner Quinton “Rampage” Jackson nearly got into it. UFC legend Tank Abbott, an other Kongo stablemate, attempted to join in the fracas, but couldn’t make his way to the […]
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Junior dos Santos rates Jon Jones, Ryan Bader as heavyweights
Former UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos thinks reigning UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is the best fighter in the world today. In fact, dos Santos believes Jones would do very well if he made the move up to the heavyweight division. “Jon Jones is the No. 1 baddest guy on the planet… actually, […]
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Cheick Kongo opens up on controversial Ryan Bader fight
Cheick Kongo was fighting for the heavyweight title against Ryan Bader in the main event of Bellator 226. It was a chance for the 44-year-old Frenchman to win a major MMA title, something that has eluded him thus far in his career. Unfortunately for Kongo and his team, things didn’t go as planned. Instead, the […]
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Bellator 226 salaries: Victorious Emmanuel Sanchez earns top payday
On Saturday night, Bellator MMA returned to our screens with Bellator 226. This stacked card was topped by a heavyweight title fight between reigning champ Ryan Bader and Bellator staple Cheick Kongo. Elsewhere on the card, we witnessed four of the quarterfinal bout for Bellator’s 16-man Featherweight World Grand Prix, in addition to a number […]
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Bellator and RIZIN eyeing Fedor vs. Rampage, Bader vs. Prochazka
Bellator and RIZIN are eyeing a year-end show in Japan featuring some of the best fighters from both promotions. Reports indicate Bellator president Scott Coker and RIZIN bossman Nobuyuki Sakakibara are in talks for a main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, as well as a light heavyweight co-main event between Ryan Bader […]
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Ryan Bader believes Cheick Kongo used the eye poke to get out of the fight
Ryan Bader was looking for the first title defense of his heavyweight belt when he took on Cheick Kongo in the main event of Bellator 226. Yet, he did not get to defend his title but did not lose it either. Instead, the fight was ruled a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from […]
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Quinton Jackson goes off on ‘coward’ Ryan Bader following Bellator 226 scuffle
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson took to social media to criticize Ryan Bader for the way his fight ended against Cheick Kongo at Bellator 226. The fight ended in the first round after Bader accidentally poked Kongo in the eye, which led to the doctor stopping the fight. It was declared a No Contest due to an […]
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VIDEO | Rampage Jackson and Ryan Bader nearly brawl at Bellator 226
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Ryan Bader nearly got into a brawl following a disappointing end to Saturday night’s Bellator 226 event. With the Bellator heavyweight championship on the line, Bader and Cheick Kongo fought to a No Contest after Bader accidentally poked Kongo in the eye and the doctor stopped the fight when he couldn’t […]
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Pros react to Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo at Bellator 226
Ryan Bader put his heavyweight title on the line against Cheick Kongo in the headliner of tonight’s Bellator 226 event in San Jose. Bader (27-5 MMA) had captured the promotions vacant heavyweight title this past January at Bellator 214, defeating MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko by first round knockout. ‘Darth’ entered tonight’s Bellator 226 main event […]
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Bellator 226 Results: Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo ends in a no-contest
Ryan Bader puts his heavyweight title on the line against Cheick Kongo in the headliner of tonight’s Bellator 226 event in San Jose. Bader (27-5 MMA) captured the promotions vacant heavyweight title this past January at Bellator 214, defeating MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko by first round knockout. ‘Darth’ will enter tonight’s Bellator 226 main event […]
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Cheick Kongo shoves Ryan Bader at Bellator 226 weigh-ins (VIDEO)
Cheick Kongo has won eight fights in a row heading into his heavyweight title opportunity against Ryan Bader at Bellator 226, yet has stayed relatively under the radar. That certainly changed as the two headliners for Saturday night’s event went face-to-face for the final time. At the Bellator 226 ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday evening in […]
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Bellator 226 | Pro fighters make their picks for Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo title fight
In the main event of Bellator 226, Ryan Bader looks to defend his heavyweight title for the first time when he takes on Cheick Kongo. The champion is currently a -350 favorite at 5Dimes while the challenger is a +250 underdog. Ahead of this Bellator 226 fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to […]
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Ryan Bader reveals Bellator reached out to UFC for cross-promotional fight with Daniel Cormier
When Ryan Bader was in the UFC, Daniel Cormier called him the easiest fight in the light heavyweight division. Yet, a fight between the two never came to fruition and as “Darth” left in free agency for Bellator. Even though Ryan Bader is in Bellator, he still wants that fight and revealed he and his […]
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Cheick Kongo: win over Bader makes me ‘the best heavyweight in the world’
Cheick Kongo will soon have a chance to become a heavyweight champion in a major promotion for the first time in his career. The 44-year-old Frenchman will take on Ryan Bader in the main event of Bellator 226 this Saturday. The training camp preparing for Bader has not been an easy one for Kongo. He […]
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Scott Coker explains why Ryan Bader would beat Stipe Miocic
Bellator president, Scott Coker took a lot of flak for his recent tweet suggesting Ryan Bader is the best heavyweight in MMA right now. Most fans and analysts believe Stipe Miocic, who reclaimed the UFC’s heavyweight belt this past weekend in Anaheim, to be the current ‘baddest man on the planet’. However, the Bellator boss […]
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Bellator boss not buying Stipe Miocic as world’s best heavyweight
When Stipe Miocic stopped Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 241, he not only reclaimed the UFC heavyweight title, but also his reputation as the top heavyweight in mixed martial arts. At least, that’s the widespread opinion. Not everybody is convinced. Bellator President Scott Coker is not buying Stipe Miocic as the top […]
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Ryan Bader booked to defend heavyweight title against Cheick Kongo
Ryan Bader, Bellator‘s resident two-division champ, is now set to defend his heavyweight strap. Bader, who also owns the light heavyweight title, will make this defense opposite fellow UFC veteran Cheick Kongo. The fight will go down at Bellator 226 on September 7 inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California. This card will also […]
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Daniel Cormier breaks down potential matchup with Ryan Bader
For a brief period, it looked as though Daniel Cormier and Ryan Bader would meet in the UFC. Unfortunately, the matchup never materialized, and the two wrestling specialists went their separate ways. Today, both men are hovering at the pinnacle of the sport in different promotions. Bader currently holds the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles […]
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Ryan Bader re-signs with Bellator on a multi-year deal
Bellator’s two division champion is staying put. To no one’s surprise, Bellator light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Ryan Bader has re-signed with the promotion. According to MMAFighting it’s an exclusive, multi-year deal with the promotion. Bader (27-5) has yet to lose a fight under the Bellator banner. After years of coming up short for a […]
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Cheick Kongo and Ryan Bader get heated over potential title fight
When Cheick Kongo handed former Bellator champ Vitaly Minakov his first loss on the main card of Bellator 216 on Saturday night, he earned himself a shot a reigning Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader. He did not hesitate to call Bader out at the Bellator 216 post-fight press conference. “I had a great performance and […]
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Cheick Kongo sends ominous threat to Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader
Cheick Kongo is now the number-one contender in the Bellator heavyweight division. The hulking Frenchman earned that honor with a workmanlike defeat of the formerly undefeated former champ Vitaly Minakov at Bellator 216 on Saturday night. Cheick Kongo has been chasing a Bellator heavyweight title shot for years, and can now look forward to a […]