Ryan Bader is coming to RIZIN.
The former two-division Bellator champion and PFL and UFC competitor jumped in the ring Sunday at RIZIN’s Otoko Matsuri event at Tokyo Dome to announce he has signed with the Japanese promotion.
Watch video of Bader’s announcement below.
Bader is expected to fight at RIZIN’s annual New Year’s Eve show on Dec. 31. He awaits the winner of a heavyweight grand prix, which kicked off at Sunday’s event with fellow former Bellator fighter Jose Augusto having advanced to the semifinals alongside Poland’s Marek Samociuk and Japan’s Mikio Ueda. A fourth quarterfinal bout between Islambek Baktybek Uulu and Alexander Soldatkin was cancelled.
It’s already been over a year since Bader, 41, has competed, with his most recent appearance taking place at the PFL vs. Bellator event in February 2024. Bader lost via TKO in 21 seconds to Renan Ferreira, a result that snapped a three-fight win streak for “Darth.”
Bader had a massively successful run with Bellator, winning titles at heavyweight and light heavyweight, and scoring victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Lyoto Machida, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, and Phil Davis, among others. He joined that promotion in 2017 after establishing himself as a top 10 light heavyweight in the UFC, where he compiled a 15-5 record.
“I want to fight,” Bader said Sunday. “One hundred percent, and I will be your champion by January.”
It’s been a year of new opportunities for Bader, who also stars as UFC legend Mark Coleman in the Dwayne Johnson film, The Smashing Machine, which premieres nationwide on Oct. 3. Johnson plays former UFC and Pride standout Mark Kerr.
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