Ryan Bader is returning to the Bellator heavyweight division -- where he holds the title -- for the first time in more than two years.
Bader will face interim champion Valentin Moldavsky in a heavyweight title unification fight in the main event of a Bellator card Jan. 29 in Phoenix, the promotion announced Monday. It will be the first time since September 2019 that Bader has put his heavyweight belt on the line.
Since Bader's win over no-contest with Cheick Kongo 27 months ago, the former UFC veteran has been competing in the light heavyweight division, where he also held the Bellator title. Bader dropped the light heavyweight belt to Vadim Nemkov -- Moldavsky's teammate -- in August 2020.
Bader (28-7, 1 NC) is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Corey Anderson in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix semifinals in October. The Arizona resident beat Lyoto Machida in the first rounds of the tournament in April. Bader, 38, was the second double champion in Bellator history and the first to hold two titles in different weight classes at the same time in Bellator. The former Arizona State wrestling All-American had a 15-5 UFC record before leaving as a free agent in 2017.
Moldavsky (11-1) won the interim title by beating Timothy Johnson via unanimous decision in June. The Russia native is a protégé of legend Fedor Emelianenko, like Nemkov. Moldavsky, 29, is a perfect 6-0 in Bellator since coming to the promotion in 2017.