Ryan Bader: I Have To Prove That I Belong At The Top

Ryan Bader is scheduled to fight Rashad Evans in two days at UFC 192, which is a big fight for Bader. However, it’s not the fight that he originally wanted. Bader wishes and believes he should be in the main event against Daniel Cormier for the UFC light heavyweight title.

“Obviously I was a little bummed out because that’s what you work towards,” Bader told FOX Sports. “You want to fight for a title and be the champion or at least the chance to be a champion. I’m not one to sit there and dwell about it and I’ve got to move on.

Bader would point out that Alexander Gustafsson fighting for the title doesn’t make logical sense because he lost his last fight.

“If you look at it from a logical, sports perspective, ranking-wise and who was available, who was on a win streak and who was off losses, it was me. I mean you can’t lose in the playoffs and still make it to the Super Bowl.”

Because he was looked over, Bader is looking to make a statement come Saturday night.

“I have something to prove. Especially with Rashad and Cormier,” Bader said. “I have something to prove to myself, to the UFC and the fans that I deserve to be at the very top. That I deserve to be there fighting for the belt.”

Ryan Bader (19-4) is currently on a four-fight winning streak. In his last five bouts, he’s 4-1.

As a fighter, Bader wants to prove that he deserves to fight the winner of Cormier – Gustafsson.

“I still don’t feel like I’ve shown who I really am as a fighter in there. I want to have that fight, and I want to have that fight with Rashad. Go out there and make a statement and build my five-fight win streak with Rashad at the end of it, and that way no one can say I don’t deserve the shot at the title.”

UFC 192 takes place this Saturday, October 3rd, 2015 at Houston’s Toyota Center.