Ryan Bader envisions 'little tournament' with Cormier, Gustafsson and Evans

Ryan Bader

Ryan Bader believes matchmaking options are limited in the light heavyweight division. That’s why he predicts his next opponent will be Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson or Rashad Evans.

Coming off of a split decision win over Phil Davis at UFC on FOX 14, Bader (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) is in the most prestigious spot of his nearly eight-year career.

He’s ranked No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie light-heavyweight rankings, with only champion Jon Jones, No. 1 contender Anthony Johnson and the three men he named as potential opponents ahead.

Jones (25-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) and Johnson (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) are scheduled to meet for the title later this year, which leaves the remaining four open to jockey for position as the next title contender.

All four men have the goal of competing in a championship match. That’s why Bader believes the UFC will build an unofficial four-man tournament to determine the best man in the bunch.

“It’ll be a little tournament right there is what I’m thinking,” Bader told MMAjunkie. “It’s got to be one of those three then the other guy fights the other guy out of that. You never know what they’re going to do, but I assume that’s what’s going to happen. I’m just not sure which individual I’m actually going to fight.”

With 16 UFC bouts to his name, Bader hasn’t formed a habit of choosing his opponents. He’ll sign any bout agreement UFC matchmaker Joe Silva sends his way, and that won’t change for his next fight.

Bader believes his next foe will be either Cormier (15-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Gustafsson (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) or Evans (19-3-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC), but he doesn’t have a preference of who it is.

“They all pose different threats and they’re all good at different things,” Bader said. “Rashad’s a very good, overall well-rounded fighter. ‘DC’ is a beast in the wrestling department. Gustafsson is a very polished fighter. They’re all tough as nails and they’re all going to be in the fight.

“They’re all ranked as the best in the world for a reason. It honestly doesn’t matter to me. I’d like to fight them all at one point. Whoever it’s going to be is a tough fight, but I’ve been having those my whole career.”

As he waits for his next fight offer, Bader is still reflecting on his victory over Davis. The limited action over 15 minutes was met by boos from the crowd, but Bader did enough in the judges’ eyes to walk away with the split decision. It was his 12th UFC victory – the fourth most in light heavyweight history.

“Fighting a tough guy like Phil Davis, you have to be careful with everything that you do,” Bader said. “He’s really awkward with his movements and all that. If you get overzealous and swing big punches, he’s going to take you down and hold you there.

“Rewatching the fight, I felt I could have done more. I could have pushed the pace a little more. But at the end of the day, I got the job done. I saw some certain things I have to work on, but you have to be careful with him.”

Bader’s career trajectory has seen him dominate certain opponents, only to hit a wall against elite competition. A few years ago, he might not have done the little things to make sure he defeated Davis. Now he’s gained enough experience that he can find a path to victory even in undesirable circumstances.

“As far as getting over that hump and breaking into the top five, it was one of my biggest wins,” Bader said. “Did I walk away happy and feel like I fought to my true potential? No.

“I felt like I’ve fought better in different fights. But it is one of those things where getting over that hump of where I’ve lost in the past to guys like (Lyoto) Machida or Glover (Teixeira) – those top-five guys.”

It was more than six years ago when Bader was crowned Season 8 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He opened his UFC career on a five-fight winning streak, but then went on an underwhelming 3-4 run inside the octagon.

Bader has rediscovered his winning ways of late, though, with victories in his past four fights, the second longest active streak in the weight class behind Jones’ 12-fight run.

The 31-year-old has been through several stages in his career. He was the undefeated “TUF” winner, the rising contender, the failed contender who needed to rebuild, and now, the veteran who wants to make the most of the rest of his career.

As far as Bader is concerned, though, he’s still young in the sport. He enjoys having his name in the record books alongside some of the all-time greats, but at the end of the day, he only wants his name in one category: UFC champion.

“My best is still to come and it’s not even close to over,” Bader said. “I’m going to keep getting better and better each fight. Every fight is a huge fight for me, so I’ve just got to get it done. I’m still a work in progress. I just broke into the top five and I’ll take it where I go from here. I’ll go beat a top-three guy, then keep it rolling.”

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