By The Numbers: Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader

Ever since the Professional Fighters League acquired Bellator MMA in November, there were speculations that the company would host a champion-versus-champion event in 2024. Holding true to the commitment and the vision for global outreach, the organization will set foot in the Middle East for the historic PFL “PFL vs. Bellator Champs” card this Saturday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The event will witness four championship fights in the heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight and featherweight divisions. In the main event, heavyweight stalwarts Ryan Bader and Renan Ferreira will seek to defend their respective organizational titles.

Bader boasts an impressive resume, having previously reigned as Bellator light heavyweight champion. He went on to compete in the heavyweight division, where he is still undefeated with wins over Fedor Emelianenko, Valentin Moldavsky and Cheick Kongo. Meanwhile, Ferreira arrived on the PFL scene with flair, defeating former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. However, the result was overturned to a no contest after replays showed Ferreira tapping out while “Vai Cavalo” had him locked into a triangle choke right before he finished Werdum via technical knockout.

Ahead of the anticipated Bader-Ferreira clash, let us delve into some of the numbers they will carry into their showdown:

3: Bader boasts the most successful consecutive heavyweight title defenses in Bellator MMA history with three.

15: Bader holds the record for third-most victories in UFC light heavyweight division history behind only Jones and Glover Teixeira.

20: Appearances ties Bader with Rashad Evans and Jan Blachowicz for fifth-most bouts in UFC light heavyweight division history.

9: Decision victories for Bader as a UFC light heavyweight, second-most ever for a fighter at 205 pounds.

13: Bader victories by knockout or technical knockout.

3: “Darth” also has three submission victories under his belt.

12: Bader was undefeated in 12 fights after he turned professional in 2007.

10: Ferreira holds 10 victories by knockout or technical knockout, underscoring his explosive fighting style.

83: Ferreira boasts an impressive 83% finish rate as a pro.