Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader headlines the PFL x Bellator: Champs event, which will take place at Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, February 24.
Renan Ferreira is the winner of last year’s PFL Heavyweight tournament. In the first event since the PFL-Bellator merger, he’s fighting against the Bellator MMA champion, Ryan Bader. Who’s going to win the fight? Let’s find out!
Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader Odds
Moneyline Odds
Renan Ferreira -105
Ryan Bader -125
*Odds courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, February 23, 2024.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
Place: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Date: Saturday, February 24, 2024
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+ PPV / DAZN PPV
Renan Ferreira (12-3-3) is the tallest heavyweight in major MMA promotions. Standing at 6’8, the Brazilian is taller than any fighter in the UFC, PFL, or Bellator. He’s six inches taller than Ferreira, and his reach is 11 inches longer.
Further, he’s a hell of a boxer, who will probably want to take advantage of his striking skills. He’s got what it takes to keep Bader at a distance, while still landing plenty of significant strikes. And this guy’s strikes are incredibly powerful.
The evidence of this is that 10 of his 12 wins happened by knockout/technical knockout. However, he’s never defeated such a good opponent as Bader. He did, however, beat a couple of top-class fighters, including Matheus Scheffel, Maurice Greene, and Denis Goltsov.
Ryan Bader is already 40, but the Bellator Heavyweight champion has no intention of retiring. The American is 31-7-1, with all wins in this division since 2016. He did lose a couple of fights in the light heavyweight division, most recently, to Corey Anderson by TKO in 2021.
In his most recent fight, Bader beat legendary Fedor Emelianenko who many believe to be the MMA GOAT. What’s interesting, however, is that Fedor is significantly shorter than Bader. Actually, Bader has never fought against such a tall guy as Ferreira.
But the former UFC fighter looks confident of winning on Saturday. He’s a well-rounded fighter with plenty of weapons in his arsenal. On top of everything, he’s got plenty of experience fighting big bouts.
