Former two-division Bellator champion and veteran competitor across PFL and UFC, Ryan Bader, has officially joined RIZIN. Bader made his signing announcement on Sunday by stepping into the ring during the Japanese promotion`s Otoko Matsuri event, which took place at the Tokyo Dome.
Bader is anticipated to fight at RIZIN`s highly-anticipated annual New Year`s Eve show on December 31st. He is set to face the winner of the current heavyweight grand prix tournament. The tournament commenced at Sunday`s event, with fellow former Bellator fighter Jose Augusto advancing to the semifinals, alongside Poland`s Marek Samociuk and Japan`s Mikio Ueda. A fourth quarterfinal bout originally scheduled between Islambek Baktybek Uulu and Alexander Soldatkin was cancelled.
The 41-year-old Bader has not competed in over a year; his last outing was in February 2024 at the PFL vs. Bellator cross-promotional event. In that fight, Bader suffered a TKO defeat in only 21 seconds against Renan Ferreira, a result that put an end to Bader`s previous three-fight winning streak.
Bader achieved significant success during his tenure with Bellator, where he captured both the heavyweight and light heavyweight championships. His impressive list of victories in the promotion includes wins over notable fighters such as Fedor Emelianenko, Lyoto Machida, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, and Phil Davis. He initially joined Bellator in 2017 after establishing himself as a top 10 light heavyweight in the UFC, compiling a 15-5 record there.
Addressing the audience on Sunday, Bader expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I want to fight. One hundred percent, and I will be your champion by January.”
Beyond the fighting world, 2024 has presented new opportunities for Bader. He is also portraying UFC legend Mark Coleman in the upcoming Dwayne Johnson film, *The Smashing Machine*. The movie is scheduled for a nationwide premiere on October 3rd. Dwayne Johnson himself stars as former UFC and Pride FC standout Mark Kerr.
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely