Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader has explained why he’s not fighting on Saturday.
‘Darth’ was originally scheduled to face Linton Vassell at Bellator 300 this weekend. The bout was going to be a rematch of their prior clash in 2017, at Bellator 186. That night, Ryan Bader won by second-round knockout, and he was hoping to score the same result up at heavyweight this time around.
However, ‘The Swarm’ withdrew due to illness, and the fight was removed from the card. Many questioned why Ryan Bader was being removed from the historic event, as it could’ve used his star power. Furthermore, light-heavyweight contender Corey Anderson offered to step into the main event.
Now fans have a bit of an answer to why. On Instagram, Ryan Bader responded to a fan who asked why he wasn’t fighting a replacement opponent this Saturday. According to the Bellator heavyweight champion, he was down, but Viacom refused to pay for it. He also added that the parent company is expected to be ‘out’, starting this month.
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Image via: @ryanbader on Instagram
“We told Bellator we are good with anything, and it looks like Viacom doesn’t want to pay. They are out Oct and this falling through saves them money”
While Ryan Bader’s comment about Viacom isn’t entirely clear, it does show signs of Bellator’s instability. As many fans are aware, the company has been linked to a potential sale to PFL for months now. However, the deal hasn’t yet been finalized.
Furthermore, Scott Coker has previously stated that they plan to keep holding events well into 2024. However, with these comments from Ryan Bader, one has to wonder if that is the case. Regardless, Bellator 300 is scheduled to go ahead as of now, with three title fights.
What do you make of these comments from Ryan Bader? Are you excited about Bellator 300?
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