Name Ryan Bader
Nickname Darth
Association [[Lion’s Den]]
Weight Class Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)
Height 6′ 2″ (188 cm)
Reach 74.0 in (188 cm)
Style Wrestling, Boxing
Birth Date May 7, 1983
Fighting Out Of Scottsdale, Arizona
Country USA
Ryan Bader Pictures Official Website

”’Ryan DuWayne Bader”’ is a American professional mixed martial artist who competes as a Light Heavyweight. He was a cast member of SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 8 Team Nogueira vs Team Mir. On December 13, 2008, Bader defeated Vinny Magalhaes to win a contract with the UFC and the title of The Ultimate Fighter’s light heavyweight championship.

He formally trained with Arizona Combat Sports, until he and a few team mates left to train at [[Lion’s Den]] in Scottsdale, Arizona.

His nickname, Darth Bader, is a reference to Darth Vader.

== Professional Record ==

Record 15 – 3 – 0 (Win â€Â“ Loss â€Â“ Draw)
Wins 6 (T)KOs
4 Submissions
5 Decisions
Losses 1 (T)KOs
2 Submissions
0 Decisions
Result Opponent Method Event Title Date Round Time Notes
Win Vladimir Matyushenko Submission (Guillotine Choke) UFC on FOX 6 Johnson vs Dodson 1/26/2013 1 0:50 Won Submission of the Night
Loss Lyoto Machida KO (Punches) UFC on FOX 4 Shogun vs Vera 8/4/2012 2 1:32
Win Quinton Jackson Decision (Unanimous) UFC 144 Edgar vs Henderson 2/25/2012 3 5:00
Win Jason Brilz KO (Punch) UFC 139 Shogun vs Henderson 11/19/2011 1 1:17
Loss Tito Ortiz Submission (Guillotine Choke) UFC 132 Cruz vs Faber 2 7/02/2011 1 1:56
Loss Jon Jones Submission (Guillotine Choke) UFC 126 Silva vs Belfort 2/5/2011 2 4:20
Win Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Decision (Unanimous) UFC 119 Mir vs Cro Cop 9/25/2010 3 5:00
Win Keith Jardine KO (Punch) UFC 110 Nogueira vs Velasquez 2/21/2010 3 2:10
Win Eric Schafer Decision (Unanimous) UFC 104 Machida vs Shogun 10/24/2009 3 5:00
Win Carmelo Marrero Decision (Unanimous) UFC Fight Night 18 Condit vs Kampmann 4/01/2009 3 5:00
Win Vinny Magalhaes TKO (Punches) The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale 12/13/2008 1 2:18 UFC debut; Won TUF 8 Light Heavyweight Contest
Win Buckley Acosta Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) XCC 6: Western Threat 4/05/2008 1 0:47
Win Brad Peterson Decision (Unanimous) IFO: Fireworks in the Cage IV 12/28/2007 3 5:00
Win Ulysses Cortez KO SE: Vale Tudo 10/27/2007 1 N/A
Win Dicky Chavez TKO KOTC Unstoppable 9/15/2007 1 0:41
Win Team Peacock TKO WFC: Rumble in the Red Rocks 6/09/2007 2 2:50
Win David Baggett Submission (Choke) PG 1: Proving Grounds 1 5/12/2007 1 N/A
Win Dave Covello Submission (Strikes) WFC: Desert Storm 3/31/2007 1 2:21

== Biography ==
Ryan “Darth” Bader entered Mixed Martial Arts after a successful career in amateur wrestling. As a high school wrestler, he won two State Championships, being ranked as high as 4th in the Country for Wrestling. After high school, Ryan went on to wrestle at Arizona State University. While at ASU, Ryan was a three-time PAC 10 Champion and two-time D-1 All-American. His 120 wins ranks him 8th on the all-time wins list for ASU. Bader was college teammates with current UFC competitors Cain Velasquez and C.B. Dollaway.

Bader began training MMA under trainers Todd Lally and Trevor Lally. He began training at Arizona Combat Sports in early 2007 and is currently undefeated in his young MMA career. Ryan fought six times in 2007, all of them victories. Ryan’s training partners include TUF 7 contender and UFC middleweight C.B. Dollaway, All-American Wrestler Aaron Simpson, UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites, and WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner.

== Mixed Martial Arts Career ==
=== The Ultimate Fighter ===
Bader was a Light Heavyweight contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 8 Team Nogueira vs Team Mir. Bader was the first Light Heavyweight selected by Coach Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

On episode two, Bader submitted Kyle Kingsbury with an arm triangle choke. He would go on to the quarterfinals, where he would knock out Tom Lawlor in the first round. In his third and final fight on the show, Bader scored a three round unanimous decision victory over Eliot Marshall. His win over Marshall put him in place to be on The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale against Team Mir’s Vinicius Magalhaes.

=== UFC Career ===
Ryan Bader’s UFC debut took place at The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale against Team Mir’s Vinicius Magalhaes, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Bader defeated Magalhaes via TKO (Punches) in the first round, earning the title of “The Ultimate Fighter” and winning a six-figure UFC contract.

Ryan Bader returned at UFC Fight Night 18, facing off against Carmelo Marrero and ended up winning the fight by unanimous decision (30â€Â“27, 30â€Â“27, 30â€Â“27). During the match, Bader tore his medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament. He will be recuperating from the injury for three to six months.

Finally returning to action after the injury, Bader faced Eric Schafer on October 24, 2009 at UFC 104 Machida vs Shogun, this time earning another win by unanimous decision. The bout was featured live on SpikeTV, before the PPV.

Bader would be taking a step up in competition at UFC 110 Nogueira vs Velasquez, where he faced off against the always game, unorthodox striker Keith Jardine, who was then on a two-fight slide, and had only gone 2-4 in his last six bouts. Jardine showed ample takedown defense, and “The Dean of Mean” began to find his striking range with greater frequency as Bader began to tire. Then, in a flash, Bader showed once again that he’s not simply a wrestling ace, for at the halfway point of the third round in a fight that appeared painfully difficult to score, Bader tagged Jardine with a quick right hand. Jardine stumbled briefly, and Bader attacked with a flying knee that missed the mark for Bader, as did a right hand. But a left hook scored directly to Jardine’s chin, and the Greg Jackson product went down in a heap. Referee Josh Rosenthal stopped the fight immediately 2:10 into the final frame.

After winning his most high-profile fight to date, it was learned that Bader, along with team-mates CB Dollaway and Aaron Simpson left Arizona Combat Sports. The reasoning at the time was unkonwn, but former team-mate Jamie Varner had this to say:

: “I’ve been at AZ combat for 6 years now this gym builds fighters from the ground up! None of those guys would be where they are with out there training partners and the Lallys! Some douche bags like to talk shit but our gym is battle tested and proven! When Riggs left he started losing and got cut from the UFC. When Fickett got kicked out he started losing and got kicked out of the UFC! I’m very interested to see what happens with those guys I wish them nothing but the best in there careers, but they made a HUGE mistake!”

In the end it was learned that the trio left Arizona Combat Sports because they felt they had learned all they could, and had moved to [[Lion’s Den]] in Scottsdale, Arizona, and would be opening their own place in the near future.

His first fight since leaving Arizona Combat Sports took place at UFC 119 Mir vs Cro Cop on September 25, 2010 against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, in the event’s co-main event. Nogueira successfully fended off several takedown attempts in their three-round affair, but the Brazilian didn’t enjoy quite the advantage on the feet that many MMA observers predicted. Nogueira often appeared hesitant to unleash more than single power shots, perhaps hesitant to allow Bader to drop under the punches and take the fight to the floor. Unfortunately for Nogueira, Bader still found those openings. In the end, Bader won a Decision (Unanimous), with scores of 30-27 on all three cards.

== Ranks and Titles ==
* 2X Div I All American
* 3X Pac 10 Champion
* The Ultimate Fighter 8 Light heavyweight Winner