The old Ryan Bader is dead. Long live Ryan Bader?
With two losses in his past two outings at light heavyweight, it appears that Bader is done competing at 205 pounds. “Darth” has held Bellator titles in two divisions and he looks to maintain his spot atop the promotion’s heavyweight ladder when he defends his undisputed belt against interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky in the main event of Bellator 273 on Saturday.
Bader turns 39 in June, so is it possible that eliminating the stress of a weight cut can prolong his career? Even with his recent stumbles (Bader has just one win since January 2019), the veteran remains a respected name in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings: No. 8 at light heavyweight, No. 14 heavyweight. He has received votes to the men’s rankings in pound for pound. Bader’s resume is unimpeachable, even if his future is uncertain.
A win over the No. 9-ranked Moldavsky would make Bader newly relevant, but that’s a tall task given what the Fedor Emelianenko protege has accomplished so far. Moldavsky has been perfect in six Bellator outings so far and it’s reasonable to say that if Bader had not taken part in a light heavyweight grand prix last year, he would have had to face the Moldavsky music a lot sooner.
With respect, Bader held Bellator’s undisputed heavyweight title hostage for some time now. Fans should be thrilled to finally see resolution in the division. It could be Bader silence the doubters, or Moldavsky showing that he’s the biggest man other than the UFC.
Also, on the maincard, Benson Henderson, a lightweight veteran, looks to destroy the title hopes Islam Mamedov. Henry Corrales faces Aiden Lee, an English-born up-and-comer, in a featherweight bout. Sabah Homasi takes on Jaleel Wilis in a striker-vs.-wrestler welterweight matchup.
What: Bellator 273
Where : Footprint Center Phoenix
When: Saturday, Jan. 29. Preliminaries begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on MMA Fighting (un-aired prelims will take place after the main event). The four-fight main card airs at 10 p.m on Showtime. The main card will also be available for free on YouTube in select regions outside of the U.S.
There will be times in this fight when Ryan Bader will think he’s staring into a mirror as he takes on a similarly sized heavyweight with great grappling and good hands. Or, he’ll be staring at a younger and faster version of himself, Valentin Moldavsky.
This fight will be similar to Moldavsky’s previous fights against Timothy Johnson (*) as to where it will take places. While there will be some takedowns and clinches, the focus should remain on Moldavsky’s feet as he has superior technique and speed. Bader is much improved in his striking from the relatively raw product he was when we first saw him on The Ultimate Fighter 13 years ago, he’s just not quite on Moldavsky’s level.
Moldavsky is the perfect example of a fighter who takes what is given to him. If Bader looks to counter, Moldavsky will be happy to pressure and wear Bader down; if Bader wants to be the aggressor, Moldavsky knows how to avoid brawls and pick his opponents apart. Moldavsky has to be wary of Bader’s power as the former NCAA wrestling standout has shown that he’s capable of dropping opponents with either hand after once being known only for a heavy right.
Bader is probably not a good choice, as he has looked fantastic against most of Bellator’s rosters regardless of division. But Moldavsky continues to improve and has become a strong force. I see this one going the distance with Moldavsky comfortably winning a decision.
Pick: Moldavsky
If we see a more offensive-minded Islam Mamedov in this fight, he’ll run away with it.
Some deficiencies were shown in Mamedov’s narrow decision win over Brent Primus, namely an emphasis on position over submission or ground-and-pound that easily could have cost him the fight. A different set of judges may have leaned towards Primus’ work from bottom. We know Mamedov can wrestle though (a teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov that can wrestle? You don’t say! ), so don’t expect him to deviate from that game plan. He just needs to get busy down there.
Benson Henderson is a difficult man to control, although he can be controlled with a tight guillotine. Mamedov should lose if he shoots himself in the guillotine. At 38, Henderson doesn’t have quite the same explosiveness that he used to and that’s going to make it difficult to keep Mamedov off of him.
Both fighters want to be heard. Henderson could leapfrog Mamedov, snagging a title shot and Mamedov looking to redeem himself from a poor showing against an ex-champion. I think it will be Mamedov, who is gaining a reputation after the fight.
Pick: Mamedov
Henry Corrales, a veteran who knows the ropes well, is not surprised that
Aiden Lee can be as difficult as anyone. It feels like it’s only a matter of time until Lee puts it all together and if he can knock off Corrales, it will push him up the 145-pound ranks quickly.
I’m not convinced yet that Lee can pass this test, even though he’s incredibly fun to watch. Light on his feet and always looking for a finish, he’s going to cause major frustration to Corrales in the first round as “OK” works to find his timing. Corrales will be able to use his all-around skills, especially against Lee, who is aggressively seeking submissions too early. Corrales, however, is likely to turn the tables and defeat the young Englishman.
Although Lee will experience his moments, Corrales will overcome them all to defeat Lee late in the fight.
Pick: Corrales
Sabah Homasi, Bellator’s resident wild man, is going to have his hands full with Jaleel Willis.
Willis will need to be careful with his Qs and Ps as one error could lead to him not only being unable to remember where the problem occurred, but also eating a Homasi Bomb. Fortunately for Willis, Homasi’s takedown defense is suspect and that plays right into Willis’ hands.
Takedown, takedown, takedown. If Willis is smart, that’s how he should think. Opening the main card, you can picture a scenario where Willis tries to show off his evolving skill set and trade a few shots with Homasi, but again… don’t do that. Be simple with your feet. Look for shots, get those legs and hold on tight.
The plan for Homasi is the same. You can brawl, sprawl, and if Willis is not in reach for long enough throw all you have until you see a corpse in front of your face.
A classic clash of styles. The safe choice is to choose the grappler-by-decision.
Pick: Willis
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