While their paths never crossed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, an encounter between them became a virtual inevitability once they signed on Bellator MMA’s dotted line.
Ryan Bader will lock horns with Corey Anderson in the semifinals of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix, their five-round battle serving as the Bellator 268 co-feature on Saturday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. The winner moves on to face either Vadim Nemkov or Julius Anglickas in the tournament final. Bader has compiled a 6-1 record with one no contest across his eight appearances in Bellator.