Ryan DuWayne Bader is an American mixed martial artist presently affiliated with Bellator MMA. He participated in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) before joining Bellator. You can read more about the richest UFC fighters of all time here.

Ryan Bader Facts

Full name	Ryan DuWayne Bader
Nickname	Darth
Date of birth	June 7, 1983
Place of birth	Reno, Nevada, United States
Nationality	American
Years active	2008-present
Age	41
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Net worth	$5 million
Mother’s name	Anita Bader
Father’s name	Mark Bader

Ryan Bader’s Early career

Ryan Bader began wrestling at the age of seven. He was born in Reno, Nevada. He had a good amateur wrestling career before switching to mixed martial arts. He went to Robert McQueen High School, where he won two state wrestling titles and had a national wrestling ranking of number four. The McQueen Lancers won the Nevada state championship in football thanks in part to Bader, who was named the state’s top defensive player in 2001.

Bader ultimately received a wrestling scholarship to attend Arizona State University. Bader won the Pac-10 championship three times while a student at ASU, in 2003, 2004, and 2006. He was a two-time All-American who finished seventh as a senior in 2006 and fourth as a sophomore in the NCAA national tournament. Early in 2007, he started his training at Arizona Combat Sports.

Ryan Bader’s Professional career

The Ultimate Fighter 8 season was where Bader debuted in the UFC. The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale on December 13, 2008, featured a fight between Bader and Vinicius Magalhaes. By swiftly knocking out Magalhaes in the opening round of the championship match, Bader won the title of “The Ultimate Fighter” and the customary “six-figure UFC contract.”

In his first match after leaving TUF, Bader defeated Carmelo Marrero at UFC Fight Night 18 by unanimous decision. After the Marrero match, Bader and fellow Ultimate Fighter 8 victor Efrain Escudero both had appearances in the sixth UFC video game, UFC 2009 Undisputed.

On October 24, 2009, at UFC 104, Bader faced off against Eric Schafer. As he made his way to a unanimous decision victory, Bader largely controlled the fight.

The next opponent for Bader was Keith Jardine, whom he faced on February 21, 2010, at UFC 110, the organization’s first event held in Australia. At 2:10 of the third round, Bader landed a precise jab on fatigued Jardine, which resulted in a knockout.

On February 5, 2011, Bader competed against fellow up-and-coming prospect Jon Jones at UFC 126, where he suffered his first MMA defeat. On August 4, 2012, at UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera, Bader faced Lyoto Machida. In the second round, at 1:32, he was eliminated via KO. On May 25, 2013, at UFC 160, Bader was supposed to take on Glover Teixeira. James Te-Huna took Bader’s spot after he withdrew from the fight due to an injury.

On September 4, 2013, as the main event of UFC Fight Night 28, the match with Teixeira finally took place. Bader defeated Teixeira via TKO in the opening frame despite feeling him early in the round. At UFC 174 on June 14, 2014, Bader squared off against Rafael Cavalcante. He received a unanimous decision victory. On January 24, 2015, at UFC on Fox 14, Bader faced off against Phil Davis. He prevailed in the match on a split decision.

At UFC 192 on October 3, 2015, Bader faced Rashad Evans. He prevailed by unanimous judgment in the match. At UFC on Fox 18, Bader and Anthony Johnson squared off in the main event on January 30, 2016. His winning streak was broken when he was knocked out in the opening round of the fight. On March 21, 2017, Bader declared that Bellator had offered him a six-fight contract and that the UFC had declined to match it. At Bellator 186 on November 3, 2017, Bader faced Linton Vassell in his debut championship defense. In the second round, he defeated his opponent by TKO.

Muhammed Lawal was Bader’s opponent in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. Within the first 15 seconds, he had secured a TKO victory. On October 12, 2018, Bader fought Matt Mitrione in the Bellator 207 semifinals. He prevailed by unanimous decision in the match. Fedor Emelianenko and Bader squared off in the final. 35 seconds into the first round, Bader won by knockout to clinch the championship.

At Bellator 242 on May 9, 2020, Bader was scheduled to defend his light heavyweight championship against Vadim Nemkov. Later on, it was revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was to blame for the match’s cancellation. It was rescheduled for August 21. Bader was defeated by a technical knockout in the second round.

It was revealed that Bader would compete in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix on February 9, 2021. In the quarterfinals, Lyoto Machida was his opponent. Bader won in an anonymous vote. On October 16, 2021, at Bellator 268 in the Grand Prix semifinals, Corey Anderson and Bader squared off. Less than a minute into the first round, he was defeated by a technical knockout.

At Bellator 273 on January 29, 2022, Bader faced up against interim heavyweight world champion Valentin Moldavsky to defend his championship. On February 4, 2023, at Bellator 290, Bader defended his championship against Fedor Emelianenko. He won the fight in the first round by ground-and-pound TKO.

Relationship status

In October 2010, Bader and Daisy got hitched. They are parents to a daughter and two sons.

Net worth

Born in the United States on June 7, 1983, Ryan Bader is a well-known MMA fighter. Ryan Bader’s net worth is $5 Million as of 2024. Ryan Bader’s known endorsement is Athlete Speakers and he is also an investor in business. Ryan Bader earned more than $4.5 million from UFC and this makes him one of the richest MMA fighters of all time. Ryan Bader’s last prize money from UFC is $150,000 when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko.

FAQs on Ryan Bader

(Q) What is Ryan Bader’s birth date?

Ryan Bader was born on June 7, 1983. He is 41 years old.

(Q) When did Ryan start his professional career?

The Ultimate Fighter 8 season in 2008 was when Bader debuted in the UFC

(Q) Where was Ryan Bader born?

He was born in Reno, Nevada, USA.

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