February 11, 2023 12:00 pm ET
If Francis Ngannou finds a brand new residence in MMA, Ryan Bader says he’s the man to battle.
Ngannou parted ways with the UFC after he, in keeping with president Dana White, turned down a deal to change into the best paid heavyweight within the promotion’s historical past.
The previous UFC heavyweight champion hopes to meet his long-desired dream to field, but when he doesn’t get to do this subsequent, Bellator heavyweight champ Bader (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) is joyful to defend his title towards him.
“If he turned that down with the UFC and all that, I feel he’s going to field,” Bader advised The Schmo. “You already know, a variety of these guys get away from MMA, however they don’t have Tyson Fury calling them out, and he does. Bellator, we’d like to have him. (I) would like to battle him. So it’s a type of issues. We’ll see the place he goes. Do I feel he goes again into MMA? I don’t know. I actually suppose he’s going to field. But when he does come to MMA, I’m the man with the belt and we’ll be preventing.”
Bader notched his third title protection when he scored one other first-round TKO of retiring legend Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 290 this previous Saturday. Ngannou hasn’t fought in additional than a 12 months. He bounced Ciryl Gane out of the ranks of the unbeaten for his first title protection in January 2022. Ngannou underwent knee surgical procedure after the battle and is gearing up for a return someday this 12 months, although he stays a free agent.
