Ryan Bader
Active 2009–present · rated in 3 editions · peak overall 83.0
Scouting report
Winning The Ultimate Fighter 8 before compiling UFC wins over Phil Davis, Rampage Jackson, and Rashad Evans, Ryan "Darth" Bader used wrestling and heavy hands to become a two-division Bellator World Champion. Hailing from Reno, Nevada, and earning two-time NCAA Division I All-American honors at Arizona State, his power is quantified by an 89 Wrestling and 86 Strength, yielding an 83 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Bader assembled key victories between 2011 and 2013, knocking out Jason Brilz in round one, defeating former champion Quinton Jackson in Saitama, submitting Vladimir Matyushenko with a guillotine choke in round one, and dominating Anthony Perosh in Brisbane while dropping bouts to Lyoto Machida and Glover Teixeira. His heavy right hand and NCAA Division I wrestling are reflected in an 83 Boxing and 88 Wrestling.
Bader authored a four-fight winning streak across 2014 and 2015, defeating Rafael Cavalcante in Vancouver, Ovince Saint Preux in Bangor, Phil Davis in Stockholm, and former champion Rashad Evans at UFC 192 in Houston. His disciplined distance striking, defensive takedowns, and positional top control justify his 84 Boxing and 89 Wrestling.
Ryan Bader and the wrestling that never stopped working
Ryan Bader wrestled at Arizona State and came into the sport through The Ultimate Fighter, where he won his season at light heavyweight. From there he built a long career on one plan that opponents could see coming and still could not stop. He closes the distance behind a heavy right hand, grabs a leg or the body, and grinds. In a draft he is a steady, low-variance pick who wins rounds without needing luck.
How the Bader ratings break down
Boxing. A real weapon, and mostly a right hand. He uses it to make people flinch so the shot behind it is easier to land.
Kickboxing. The soft area of his standup. He is not a kicker, and he rarely throws anything from range that is not a jab or a low kick.
Wrestling. His best skill, by a clear margin. Level changes, cage control and the patience to keep a man pinned made this the base of everything he did.
BJJ. Better than people assume for a wrestler. He can hold position and work without giving up his back, though he is not a hunter of submissions.
Strength. Thick and powerful through the hips and shoulders. He can bully a lighter opponent onto the mat.
Durability. He has been hurt and kept his feet. The early loss to Jon Jones by guillotine was a submission, not a chin problem.
Cardio. He pushes a good pace deep into fights, and long bouts rarely make him worse.
Fight IQ. A grinder's brain. He knows what he does well and rarely strays from it.
Wrestling is what you are paying for
At his peak card, wrestling sits a few points above everything else he does. That gap matters in a draft because takedowns are one of the few skills that reliably shut down a striking specialist for a full round. If your other picks cannot wrestle, Bader supplies the takedowns and the cage control all by himself.
Kickboxing is the door left open: Kickboxing
His kicking is the lowest number on his card. A rangy striker who kicks the legs and body can pick at him while he tries to get inside, and a good sprawl turns his entire game into a series of long walks forward. Bring a teammate whose kickboxing covers the outside.
Keep exploring
Closest light heavyweight profiles to Ryan Bader, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Corey Andersonbest cardio 92 · weakest kickboxing 74
- Rashad Evansbest wrestling 90 · weakest bjj 80
- Tito Ortizbest wrestling 90 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Dan Hendersonbest durability 92 · weakest bjj 76
- Light Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Ryan Bader's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Ryan Bader into your build
Ryan Bader enters the pool on any spin landing on light heavyweight between 2010 and 2017. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Ryan Bader is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Ryan Bader's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.