Ryan Bader could be putting pen to paper soon.
The light heavyweight contender appeared on "The MMA Hour" on Monday to give an update on his foray into free agency. Bader told host Ariel Helwani that he expects to receive a formal offer from Bellator MMA soon, but he's not ruling out a return to the UFC where he currently sits at No. 4 in their official rankings.
"I have a Bellator offer coming either today or tomorrow," said Bader. "We kind of know the particulars but I went out and met with (president) Scott Coker and the Bellator boys and I liked what they had to say, I liked what they were about. So we're kind of going through that process. That being said, UFC has the right to match."
Rather than sign an extension with the UFC last year, the 33-year-old Bader chose to fight out the remainder of his contract. His decision looks like it will pay dividends as he won his last two fights against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ilir Latifi.
Should Bader jump to Bellator, he would join Phil Davis and Rory MacDonald as top-ranked UFC contenders to make the move to North America's No. 2 promotion. Bader actually owns a split decision win over Davis, who just so happens to hold the 205-pound title in Bellator.
Bader stressed that he's looking for more than just a monetary guarantee, and that whether he signs with Bellator or the UFC it's important that they lay out a clear structure for his place in the organization and how he can earn a championship opportunity.
"It's about opportunity," said Bader. "I want to know what their plan is for me also on both sides. I just don't want to sign a deal saying, 'Oh, okay, we're signing a four-, six-, eight-fight deal and these are your terms and this is your money, alright good to go, bye.'
"I want to know what the plan is for me in particular, what we're thinking about first fight, what is the road to the title? Something in stone."
Bader also expressed skepticism over the traditional practice of increasing a fighter's pay depending on whether they win or lose, suggesting instead that promoters implement more of a flat fee with the goal of motivating fighters to put on exciting performances as opposed to playing it safe to secure a better paycheck.
With nine decision wins inside the Octagon, Bader knows what it's like to execute a conservative game plan and be criticized by the fans for that strategy. It appears he and his team are taking the same calculated approach to his free-agency negotiations.
