Ryan Bader is confident that he could perform even better if given the opportunity to face UFC champion Jon Jones again.
In February 2011, Bader (31-7) went up against Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) at UFC 126 in a highly anticipated matchup. Jones ultimately dominated Bader and secured a second-round submission, marking Bader’s first career loss.
Since then, both fighters have seen significant success in their careers. Jones has continued to excel in the UFC’s light heavyweight division and recently claimed the UFC heavyweight title. Bader has also thrived in two divisions, becoming a two-division champion in Bellator. He believes that he has made significant improvements since his bout with Jones over a decade ago.
“I think it’s definitely going to be a different fight,” Bader shared with MMA Junkie Radio. “Jones has continually proven himself as one of the best fighters in the world, but my mentality and experience have evolved since then. It’s going to be a real battle.”
“Who knows what the outcome will be, but it’s going to be exciting. I’ve had success in rematches before, and it’s been a long time since that fight back in 2011. It will be interesting to see how much we’ve both grown by 2024. I think it’s going to be very, very cool.”
Bellator Heavyweight Champion Bader is set to take on PFL Heavyweight Champion Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL vs. Bellator: Champions (ESPN+, DAZN, ESPNews) on February 24th at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bader is a proponent of cross-promotional fights and hopes to see more of them in the future.
“The exciting thing about this matchup is the cross-promotion aspect. These are the fights that fans want to see,” Bader said. “There’s always talk about what would happen if this fighter went to the UFC, or if the UFC champion fought the Bellator champion. These are the kind of matchups that fans love, and I hope we can have more of them. I think so.”
For more details about this event, visit MMA Junkie’s PFL vs. Bellator event hub.
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