Call me crazy but I think Bader would be top 3 in UFC HW division

[codfather]

Bader is better at light heavyweight and he's about 5 years past his best. No way he beats Gane, Blaydes or Pavlovich.

 

[MeganFan]

Ryan Bader has improved a lot since leaving the UFC. He used to have no confidence in his striking. Now he does. For a wrestler, that's huge and opens up a lot of things for him to do in the cage.

 

[Starman]

In today’s UFC heavyweight division? It’s certainly possible.

 

[Gamer007]

You crazy bro

 

[Simple Southerner]

He would destroy Derrick Lewis that's forsure

 

[NicholasJBasile]

Dude has cardio for days and is much faster than any HW fighter in the ufc. Combine that with his wrestling and I believe he would be top 3 if ufc sign him up.

He would be up there. I think stylistically he'd have some problems though.

 

[BFoe]

Top #3? Eh, only by a perfect matchup like Tuivasa becoming #3 or whatever it was solely by beating Lewis. I think Bader would unquestionably be Top 10, and could crack the top 5. I think he can handle the current #7-10 ranked fighters. I’d definitely favor Bader over Tuivasa, and that win would put Bader top 5 right now.

 

[killakillakilla]

Bader is better at light heavyweight and he's about 5 years past his best. No way he beats Gane, Blaydes or Pavlovich.

Bader is way better at HW than he is at LHW

 

[Fedor Fan]

It could absolutely happen, Tai became number 3.

It would depend on the matchmaking and roll of the dice.

Bader im UFC would actually have made a great victim for HW Jon Jones. Bader vs Jones 2.

Bader could beat Lewis and Gane.

 

[killakillakilla]

Bader would be interesting to throw in the HW mix. He’d have the speed advantage over all of them and he packs a punch.

 

[HNIC215]

Ryan Bader is built like the guy who comes by my house once in a while to sell me solar LOL

 

[Paironj56]

It could absolutely happen, Tai became number 3.

It would depend on the matchmaking and roll of the dice.

Bader im UFC would actually have made a great victim for HW Jon Jones. Bader vs Jones 2.

Bader could beat Lewis and Gane.

To be honest. Tai was never top 3. In ufc ranking the #3 best fighter is actually the 4th best because the champ is not counted lol. Also you really believe that Tai was even the 4th best? We all knew Blayeds, Volkov , Ngannou, Gane, Pavlovich,Tom Aspinall and Rozenstruik were better than Tai.

 

[Fedor Fan]

To be honest. Tai was never top 3. In ufc ranking the #3 best fighter is actually the 4th best because the champ is not counted lol. Also you really believe that Tai was even the 4th best? We all knew Blayeds, Volkov , Ngannou, Gane, Pavlovich,Tom Aspinall and Rozenstruik were better than Tai.

I was talking purely about rankings.

It's not hard to be a top 5 HW in the UFC, Tai and Lewis have been.

Lewis has had a title shot vs Cormier.

Tai could spark Volkov (like Lewis) but I agree with you in principle, Rozenstruik excluded. Tai is imo more well rounded and more powerful with better TD defence.

Ufc rankings aren't 100% merit based. Bader could definitely be top 3, he's American and a wrestler. Look at Chandler and his ranking vs some of the LW killers.

 

[ChangeIsComing]

I call you crazy, who exactly has Bader beat? Old fighters in Bellator and that's it, his best win is over Phil Davis.

 

[tehMoose]

jones
gane
blades
pavlovich
volkov
how top 3

Volkov was literally cut from Bellator lmao

 

[Paolo Delutis]

Dude has cardio for days and is much faster than any HW fighter in the ufc. Combine that with his wrestling and I believe he would be top 3 if ufc sign him up.

..ur absolutely crazy LOL...

 

[BonesWinckleJones]

Volkov was literally cut from Bellator lmao

so what? and askren was bellator`s goat and went 0-4

 

[TorontoTO]

He beats Tai Sergei losses to Blaydes,Jones, Gane top 5 I would say

Correct take, he is good enough to be top 5 in the UFC. I would through in Tom Aspinall, hoping that the knee injury doesn't affect him to much.

Remember Derrick Lewis is a top 10 right now, followed by Volkov, Rozenstriuk

 

[tehMoose]

so what? and askren was bellator`s goat and went 0-4

Askren was retired when he got signed with UFC, with an artificial hip. Nice example and he went 1-2 not 0-4

Bader would beat Volkov pretty easily, he's a different fighter at HW than at LHW where he's drained and can't take a punch there

Volkov lost to Kongo in Bellator and Bader beat Kongo easily

 

[TorontoTO]

so what? and askren was bellator`s goat and went 0-4

Askren was like a decade after his Bellator run and his hip was ready to be replaced when he came out of retirement to fight in the UFC