UFC 119 – Ryan Bader thinks he’s “one or two” fights away from a light heavyweight title shot
UFC light heavyweight, Ryan Bader believes he’s one or two octagon victories away from a light heavyweight title shot if he beats Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 119 on September 25th in Indianapolis, Indiana, but also added he is prepared to wait however long it takes to fight for the belt.
Speaking via Fighters Only Magazine, Bader said:
“In the sport I feel like I’m an up and comer trying to prove I belong with the big boys. After the Ultimate Fighter I was working my way up, low on the radar in the underdog role, proving people wrong and continuing to move up.”
“If I beat Nogueira I’m one or two fights away from a title shot, but I’m not rushing it. I want to be the best fighter I can be when I get that shot, whether it’s after him or another fight, or another three, I’m in no rush.”
Bader, currently 11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC, has so far bulldozed his way through the light heavyweight ranks since winning the eighth instalment of the reality television show, “The Ultimate Fighter”. The man from Nevada most recently knocked out Keith Jardine at UFC 110 in February and now gets the chance to test his skills against Brazilian veteran, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
“He’s a great fighter and a great person. I respect him a lot and what he has done in the sport. But he’s in my way right now and I need to go out there and get that W. He’s great on the ground and got great boxing. He’s more of a counter-boxer, and doesn’t kick much.”
“His weakest part is wrestling and scrambling, like he showed against Brilz when he got caught in a guillotine while scrambling. I can definitely beat him if I keep him guessing, keep him scrambling and look for shots on the feet.”
Bader, an NCAA Division 1 wrestler, is confident he can stand and box with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt despite his strong wrestling base and wasn’t shy in revealing his game plan.
“I’m going to box with him. If I opt to get it down I definitely can, he doesn’t really have much takedown defence and I’m sure he doesn’t mind being on his back. I’m going to box with him, kickbox with him. My game plan from there is to get it down, and pound him out on the ground.”
“You can have all the accolades in boxing-wise, but in MMA with 4-ounce gloves on, you don’t have to be a perfect, clean boxer. Just hit one clean shot with those small gloves on and you never know. I’m not the most technical, but I do have heavy hands. I’m not underestimating his abilities; I’ve got to be careful. I can’t get too crazy, I’ve got to be smart and respect him, pick my shots and work on being more clean.”
Undefeated in his MMA career, Bader will be looking to claim the scalp of another big name in Nogueira to continue his rise towards a light heavyweight title shot. Scoring a win over the much travelled Brazilian will only add to an already impressive CV for Bader. Stay tuned to MMABay for all the latest news.
By Philip Simkins
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