Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1983-06-07
- Born Place: Reno, Nevada, USA
Also Known As:
Darth
Ryan Bader
Ryan "Darth" Bader is an American mixed martial artist and former collegiate wrestler. Born on June 7, 1983, in Reno, Nevada, he is a highly accomplished fighter, known for his dominance in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions of Bellator MMA. He first gained national attention as a wrestler at Arizona State University, where he was a two-time All-American. Bader's professional MMA career began in 2007, and he rose to prominence after winning Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter on the UFC platform in 2008. He competed in the UFC for several years before signing with Bellator in 2017, where he became the first fighter in the promotion's history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously. He is also part of the cast of the 2025 film The Smashing Machine, where he portrays the late MMA fighter and two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament champion Mark Coleman.
