Last November, Ryan Bader fought out the last fight in his UFC contract by defeating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via third round TKO. Right after the win, he was still open to re-sign with the UFC, as long as “the money is right.”
Right now, Bader remains a free agent and has yet to decide on how his immediate career would go. But on Monday’s edition of MMA Hour, the TUF 8 winner revealed that an offer from Bellator may be handed to him sooner than later.
“I have a Bellator offer coming either today or tomorrow,” Bader said (via MMA Fighting). “We kind of know the particulars. I went out and met with Scott Coker and the Bellator boys and I liked what they had to say, and I liked what they were about. So we’re going through that process. That being said, the UFC has the right to match. It’s kind of in a weird place. I’m super-excited to be in this position. I’m in a great position.”
Bader may have put the money as his utmost priority when he was mulling over his UFC future. But for Bellator, he is looking more at the other opportunities that may lie ahead if he does end up signing with the organization. One of them is a possible rematch against Phil Davis, who currently holds the Bellator light heavyweight strap.
“I do believe we can [get a title shot right away]. That’s another thing, like I said, I keep hitting on the word opportunity and the plan — what’s your plan for me? And so, things like that are being discussed. I know [Davis] probably wants to get that win back…that’s definitely part of it.”
Bader’s interview begins at the 3:21:46 mark of the video.
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