Ryan Bader is officially making the jump from the Octagon to the Bellator cage.
The top-10 light heavyweight contender is set to sign a six-fight contract with Bellator, Bader announced on "The MMA Hour." No date has been set for Bader's debut, although he revealed the promotion is required to pay him his full purse if he isn't booked to fight three times per year.
"Darth" entered free agency after his last fight with the UFC on Nov. 19, a third-round TKO win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. He closed out his run with the organization on a 7-1 tear, which included a split-decision win over current Bellator 205-pound champion Phil Davis.
Bader's signing comes as little surprise, given UFC president Dana White's previously stated disinterest in re-signing Bader and the fighter publicly expressing his interest in Bellator on several occasions.
Since beginning his professional career in March 2007, Bader has compiled a 22-5 record. The 33-year-old joined the UFC after winning the eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" and holds notable wins over Davis, Nogueira, and former world champion Rashad Evans.
