Anthony Johnson isn’t counting on Ryan Bader to become an elite light heavyweight.
“Rumble” is preparing for his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 205-pound title rematch with champion Daniel Cormier on April 8 for UFC 210. The event will take place inside the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
While the title match is on the horizon, many feel the UFC’s light heavyweight division is sorely lacking. Jon Jones will be eligible to return in July. While Jones, Johnson and Cormier are the top 3 light heavyweights in the world, there is a void when it comes to new contenders.
Alexander Gustafsson has failed to capture the title twice, although both bouts were close calls. Teixeira, who is in talks with fighting Gustafsson later this year, also fell short in his title bout. Like Gustafsson, Teixeira was finished by Johnson.
Light heavyweight prospects Misha Cirkunov and Nikita Krylov are no longer on the UFC roster.
Free agent Ryan Bader is likely to sign with Bellator. Johnson defeated “Darth” back in Jan. 2016 via first-round knockout. When asked by USA TODAY Sports about Bader’s likely departure, “Rumble” didn’t speak too highly of his former foe (via MMAJunkie.com):
“There’s nobody on top, but me and Daniel. The others are doing their thing. Bader is just irrelevant. He won’t be able to compete with any of us in the top 2 or 3. He just can’t beat us. Period. I’m not taking his talents for granted, but you saw what happened with me. I beat him in what, a minute? Daniel would have taken a little bit longer, but he would have beat him, too.”
