Ryan Bader is preparing for a champion versus champion clash with Renan Ferreira on February 24 in Saudi Arabia, and is looking to add significant fights to his résumé, including a potential showdown with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
Ryan Bader’s at a crossroads. His fights need to mean more than just a paycheck now.
His next bout? It’s a big one. He’s headlining the first-ever PFL vs. Bellator card. He’s up against Renan Ferreira, champion vs. champion, on Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia.
Bader’s no stranger to tough fights. He’s faced the best in the world, time and again, over 39 fights and 17 years. But now? He’s after fights that’ll add a little extra sparkle to his career.
Take Jon Jones for example. Bader gets why Jones is holding out for a showdown with Stipe Miocic instead of interim UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall.
Bader, Jones, Stipe – they’ve been in the game a long time. Bader gets it. Younger guys are always going to call out the best. But when you reach a certain point, you want legacy fights.
Jones wants Stipe. It’s not a slight on the other guys. It’s about wanting something for your career. You want that big moment, that big show.
And Bader? He agrees with Jones. He should wait. That fight needs to happen.
Jones has been clear. He thinks taking out Miocic, the longest reigning heavyweight champ in UFC history, will cement his place as the greatest fighter of all-time.
Bader’s got similar plans. He wants to dispatch Ferreira and then go after former UFC champ and top PFL star Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou’s got a boxing match against Anthony Joshua in March. But he’s planning his MMA return, and the winner of Bader vs. Ferreira is expected to be his first opponent in the PFL.
Bader sees this as a perfect set up. No belts on the line, but if he beats Renan, he’s the PFL champ in his book.
Bader’s known for never turning down fights. But after Ferreira, just any heavyweight won’t do. He’s cleared out most top contenders in the Bellator heavyweight division. Beating Ferreira would add a PFL champ to his wins.
Anything other than Ngannou after that? Doesn’t make sense to Bader.
“It would be a paycheck,” Bader admits. He’d take it, but he wants bigger fights. He doesn’t have a ton of fights left. He wants them to mean something.
Bader’s not looking too far ahead. He’s got Ferreira to worry about. But he’s thought about a future where Ngannou is next.
Even if it means waiting while Ngannou pursues boxing, Bader thinks it’s the better move for his career and legacy.
“I am at that point in my career, 40-something fights now, that’s what I want to do. I want these bigger fights,” Bader said.
The same goes for Jones vs. Miocic. It’s expected to happen in mid-to-late 2024 once Jones recovers from a torn pectoral muscle.
“We’re fortunate enough in our career that we don’t need to fight two or three times a year, money-wise,” Bader said. “We can wait for those legacy fights. I think we’ve all earned that right to sit back, and I’m going to wait for this big fight.”