After failed Rizin FF negotiation, Ryan Bader targets Bellator light heavyweight title defense

Ryan Bader’s pursuit for more championship belts has hit a snag, and for now he will have to be content with the gold he already has.

Bader (27-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), the current Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, has spent the past several months pushing to fight for a championship under the Rizin FF banner in Japan.

Bellator and Rizin FF have a strong relationship and are set to co-promote a card in “The Land of the Rising Sun” on Dec. 29. Bader felt that was the perfect opportunity for him to fight for a Rizin FF belt, possibly against current light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka.

That opportunity apparently won’t materialize, though, because Bader today took to social media and announced negotiations have failed (via Twitter):

Bader, 36, is most recently coming off a defense of his heavyweight title. He retained the belt in a no contest with Cheick Kongo after an accidental eye poke at Bellator 226 in September.

The first fighter in Bellator history to hold multiple titles simultaneously, Bader has made his intentions to keep both belts clear. He already defended his heavyweight strap (albeit in underwhelming fashion) and now it appears his intent is to return to 205 pounds for the first time in more than two years and put that belt up for grabs.

Leading candidates to land a light heavyweight title fight with Bader would seemingly include Vadim Nemkov (11-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and Phil Davis (21-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA).