Ryan Bader didn't 'dwell and cry' after being passed over for UFC 192 title shot

At the peak of his career and with a four-fight winning streak, Ryan Bader could taste the title shot he has aimed for his whole career. It wasn’t to be, however, as Bader was passed over by the UFC in favor of Alexander Gustafsson.

Gustafsson (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) will meet UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier (16-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 192 in October. Bader (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) will fight on the same event, but will have to settle for a bout with Rashad Evans (19-3-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC).

The two bouts will do much to sort out the jumble at the top of light heavyweight, a division that has been somewhat unsettled since Jon Jones was stripped of the title and suspended indefinitely following his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident.

Cormier and Gustafsson sit at No. 2 and 4, respectively, in the NOS Energy Drink light heavyweight MMA rankings while Bader and Evans are No. 5 and 8.

Evans is the No. 5 fighter in the official UFC rankings and Bader says that facing a former champion and top-five opponent is enough to ease some of the sting of getting passed over for Gustafsson – who was knocked out by Anthony Johnson in his most recent fight.

“You know, I’m not one to kind of dwell and cry about it,” Bader told MMAjunkie radio. “I got over it pretty quickly when I learned I had a fight and I was fighting a name like Rashad. It does suck to have the last two guys get title shots off a loss. But if I look at it on the positive side going into this fight, win or lose I still have a shot at getting a title shot.”

Bader’s four-fight winning streak hasn’t impressed everyone, especially since the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 hasn’t picked up a stoppage win during the stretch.

It’s something Bader is aware of and says he’s ready to fix against Evans.

“Going in there I want to go in there and make a statement,” Bader said. “I want to go in there and leave no doubt in anybody’s mind that I deserve that next title shot. Whether it’s that I haven’t got it from my last four wins from me not finishing them or whatnot. I know that. MMA is kind of a double-edged sword. I’ve been told to go out there and win at all costs since I was five years old in wrestling. So I bring that to the MMA game. At the same time, you have to be exciting. You have to get finishes and all that stuff too. I’ve been fighting top-tier guys my whole career. Last three fights were guys in the top 10 or top five. Now I’m fighting Rashad. I want to go out there and cap off that five-fight win streak with a big name like Rashad, a former champion, and do it in an impressive way where nobody can say that I don’t deserve that shot.”

The slight of being passed over for a fighter who was badly knocked out in his last bout stung Bader. With Bellator and World Series of Fighting making a play for bigger name fighters in recent months, the idea of searching for greener pastures did cross his mind.

But Bader says he wants to stick with fighting at the top of the sport.

“You always have to look out for yourself first and foremost, especially in this sport,” Bader said. “We’re all independent contractors. We have our team. I have a kind of unique thing in Arizona where we own the gym, we have a great team together. But you’re going out there, you’re providing for your family by yourself. You have people around you, but you have to look out for number one. It all runs through your mind. You see a lot more people fighting out their contracts now.

“I still enjoy fighting the elite of the elite in the top organization. I want to be a UFC fighter. At times like that, where you get passed over, you definitely think of other options. Will I ever get there? I’m doing the right things, I’m going out there and winning. Are they going to hold up their end of the bargain? For me, that’s gone through my mind. But I’ve got a big fight. If we weren’t fighting Cormier and we didn’t get that Anthony Johnson fight like we were trying and Cormier fight got pulled. Gustafsson got it coming off a knockout loss to the guy that just fought for the title. But I got the Rashad fight. He’s a top five guy, he’s a former champion. I just told myself I was going to let everything go and go out there and beat this guy and make a statement. If I don’t get it then, then I don’t know what to do.”

For more on UFC 192, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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