Bellator champ Ryan Bader eyes Tito Ortiz rematch, but plans to 'clean out this division'

NEW YORK – After winning the light heavyweight title at Bellator 180, Ryan Bader is aiming for a long and dominant run in Bellator. He’s open to defending the belt against anyone, but there’s one name in particular that stands out.

Bader (23-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who claimed the title with a split-decision win over Phil Davis (17-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) on Saturday’s Spike-televised preliminary card at Madison Square Garden in New York, is still seeking revenge for his surprising first-round submission loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 132 in July 2011.

“Darth” said he’s still asked about being the one who ended Ortiz’s (19-12-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) nearly five-year winless drought. And while Ortiz claims to have retired following his win over Chael Sonnen at Bellator 170 in January, Bader hopes a potential title fight could lure him back.

“I would love it,” Bader said. “I’m not a (expletive)-talking guy. I respect everyone in this sport. If I have to hear that name, and, ‘You’re pretty good – but you lost to Tito Ortiz back in 1994.’ That one I would like to get. If there’s one fight I would like to get back, it would be that one, for sure. I would love to fight him for sure. I’d put the belt on the line and everything if he wants to come in. That fight intrigues me.”

Do you want to see a @ryanbader vs. @titoortiz1999 rematch? #Bellator180 • • • ?? @mikebohnmma – @usatodaysports

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After a 20-fight run under the UFC banner, Bader became a free agent earlier this year and signed with Bellator. He was originally booked against Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 180, but when “King Mo” suffered an injury, Davis stepped in and made it a title bout.

Bader’s desire all along was to fight for Bellator gold right off the bat, which is how it played out. He took advantage of the situation and edged Davis, and though he downplayed the pressure prior to the event, he opened up more afterward.

“It’s a bunch of relief,” Bader said. “I never got the chance to fight for any belt in any organization. I’ve got all these accolades in wrestling and even in football, collegiate wrestler. Then I go into mixed martial arts and fight in all these local shows where I only fight one time and move onto the next one. I win ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ then go to the UFC and never got an opportunity there. To fight in a different promotion, your first fight, I wouldn’t say there’s any jitters, but you’re new to the whole thing, and you don’t know what to expect.

“I’ve never stepped foot in a Bellator cage before. I didn’t know what the canvas felt like. I didn’t know a lot of things. So to come out here and beat a top two, top three guy in the world – he’s an awkward guy, he’s hard to fight, and that’s why he wins way more than he loses here and (why) he was a champion. To take this away it’s just a lifetime of work.”

Bader got his hand raised, but he admitted the fight didn’t play out precisely how he wanted. He knew what it was like to compete against Davis; he owns a 2015 split-decision win over “Mr. Wonderful,” and he also competed against him during their amateur wrestling days.

Both fights were relatively underwhelming in terms of action, and despite pegging his fellow American as one of the more challenging opponents he’s faced, Bader said he expects to see Davis in the future.

“I wanted to come in and make a huge statement, but how many guys beat Phil Davis?” Bader said. “I beat him twice. … He beat me in wrestling; I was able to come out and beat him in two MMA fights. We’re going to be competing our whole lives. We’ll probably see each other in the senior league in jiu-jitsu or something. He’s a great dude. I respect the hell out of him. It’s an honor to get in there and fight him.”

Regardless of how he got it done, Bader winning the 205-pound belt in his first Bellator fight is about as good as a debut experience can get. Ortiz would be his ideal next opponent, but options such as Lawal, Linton Vassell and possibly even another fight with Davis exist, as well.

Ultimately Bader said that Bellator can line then all up because he’s confident he will knock them down one at a time.

“I went out there and beat the best guy in this division,” Bader said. “Besides me, obviously, and now we get to go and clean out this division, and I’m going to have this belt for a long time.”

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