Veteran mixed martial artist Ryan Bader has officially joined the Japanese promotion RIZIN.
The former two-weight world champion in Bellator, who has also competed in the PFL and UFC, made his announcement during RIZIN`s Otoko Matsuri event at the Tokyo Dome on Sunday.
Bader is slated to compete at RIZIN`s major New Year`s Eve event on December 31st. His opponent is expected to be the victor of an ongoing heavyweight grand prix. The tournament started Sunday, with Jose Augusto (also a former Bellator fighter), Marek Samociuk, and Mikio Ueda securing spots in the semifinals. One quarterfinal match between Islambek Baktybek Uulu and Alexander Soldatkin was cancelled.
Bader, aged 41, has not fought in over a year; his last bout was in February 2024 at the PFL vs. Bellator crossover event. In that fight, he suffered a 21-second TKO loss to Renan Ferreira, which ended `Darth` Bader`s three-fight winning streak.
His tenure in Bellator was notably successful, where he captured both heavyweight and light heavyweight championships. During this time, he defeated notable fighters such as Fedor Emelianenko, Lyoto Machida, Muhammed `King Mo` Lawal, and Phil Davis. Bader joined Bellator in 2017 after a solid career in the UFC, where he reached the top 10 at light heavyweight and accumulated a 15-5 record.
Speaking at the event on Sunday, Bader stated, “I want to fight, one hundred percent, and I will be your champion by January.”
Beyond fighting, Bader has also pursued other ventures this year, including portraying UFC legend Mark Coleman in the upcoming film The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson as former UFC and Pride fighter Mark Kerr. The movie is set to premiere nationwide on October 3rd.
