5 possible challengers for Ryan Bader in Bellator
Ryan Bader has found a home in the Bellator heavyweight division since becoming the heavyweight champion in 2019. He won the heavyweight championship after defeating MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko via knockout in the heavyweight Grand Prix finals. Since then, he has successfully retained the title on three occasions and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
Bader has performed much better at heavyweight since moving up for the Grand Prix in 2018. Despite returning to 205 lbs for the light heavyweight Grand Prix, he stated that he intends to remain at heavyweight prematurely. His age and weight-cutting were a factor and it looks like he has made the correct decision.
He has won back-to-back fights via unanimous decision. He defeated Valentin Moldavsky in January and Cheick Kongo in May. Scott Coker hasn’t announced who his next challenger will be, which could signify that there are still ongoing discussions. There’s an opportunity for the division to make a statement and show why they deserve to challenge ‘Darth’ for the title. This list will look at five possible challengers for Ryan Bader in Bellator.
#5. Former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov
#Bellator269 Official Weigh-In Results: Vitaly Minakov (265) https://t.co/vzqZaKCL6L
For years, Vitaly Minakov was one of Bellator’s most dominant fighters. The Russian heavyweight joined the promotion in 2012 and it wasn’t long before he became a top contender. After earning three straight wins via KO/TKO, Minakov earned a title opportunity against then-heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov. He made quick work of Volkov and finished him with strikes in the first round to become the new champion.
‘The New Emperor’s heavyweight title reign was short-lived as he was eventually stripped of the title due to a contract dispute. Despite being stripped of the title, Minakov remained unbeaten in his MMA career and returned in 2019. Although he is 1-2 in his last three bouts, it’s important to note that they weren’t convincing losses.
Minakov lost a controversial decision to Cheick Kongo and most recently lost to Said Sowma after breaking his finger. He broke his finger towards the end of the third and final round, arguably winning the fight until the injury. Minakov would be an intriguing opponent for Bader because he is a former champion and was never defeated for the title.