“I’m going in there to win a championship”: Ryan Bader

Published on: 18th March, 2009

Bader wants gold around his waist  | read this item

Bader wants gold around his waist

Ryan Bader is coming off of The Ultimate Fighter season 8 with a lot of potential and many eyes on him coming into one of the UFC’s deepest divisions. Bader may be young and still needs to improve, but he says his goal is to win a championship eventually.

Fanhouse.com spoke to Bader and asked him if he felt his first fight against Carmelo Marrero at UFC Fight Night 18 was an easy fight and if the UFC was going to build him up to get some wins?

Bader

“I would like to think so. It means they want to put their marketing behind me. But I don’t think I have an easy fight on April 1. Carmelo Marrero is a tough fighter. I like how our styles match up, I think I can use my wrestling, so I like the fight in that respect, but I don’t think they gave me a gimme fight at all. He’s a tough dude, and I can think of tons of other guys who would be easy fights. I also think with [fellow Ultimate Fighter winner] Efrain Escudero, before he got hurt they gave him a fight with Jeremy Stephens, so I don’t think they were giving him an easy fight either.”

Bader then said that he wants to win his fights one at a time, but his ultimate goal is to eventually hold a UFC title.

“This year is basically just that I want to win my fights, one at a time. I know I’m nowhere close to having a title shot, I’m starting at the bottom of the totem pole, so I just want to win one at a time. My ultimate goal is to have a UFC belt one day. I wouldn’t be in this if I wanted to be mediocre. That’s my goal in the next five years, to fight for that belt and win that belt. You can’t do this sport halfway. I’m going in there to win a championship.”

Bader is a good wrestler which is always a good base to start off with, he is strong and his striking is coming along. If Bader can get some wins and experience under his belt the sky is the limit for the former Arizona State University wrestler, but he will have to start with Carmelo Marrero first.

 Alberto Martinez "The Narcisist" is the founding owner of URDirt.com. If you would like to post on the front page or in our New "Fan Jab" section all you need to do is register. Read more from this author

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