Tonight, RIZIN FF is hosting an event from the Tokyo Dome in Japan and they broke some big news on their broadcast. The promotion announced that former two-division Bellator champion Ryan Bader (31-8) has signed with the promotion with plans for him to make his debut on their New Year’s Eve card.
RIZIN is currently having a Heavyweight Grand Prix and the plan is for the winner to face Bader in his promotional debut. Bader and PFL mutually agreed to part ways back in March. Bader came over to PFL with the Bellator acquisition and only fought once under the dual promotion. Bader fought Renan Ferreira and was stopped in 21 seconds.
After that fight, Bader stepped away from fighting to film the upcoming movie, The Smashing Machine. By the time Bader makes the walk on New Year’s Eve, it will have almost been two years since he’s fought. Bader turns 42 in June and prior to that loss to Ferreira, Bader had won three fights in a row all for the Bellator heavyweight title.