LOS ANGELES – Ryan Bader has fought a lot of top names. Still, even as he beat former UFC champions on his way up the light heavyweight ranks, there was one guy that he thought he “would never have even a chance to be standing across the cage with.” That just so happens to be the same guy that Bader (26-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) is meeting on Saturday at Bellator 214, in an attempt to become the promotion’s first simultaneous two-division champion. Fighting Fedor Emelianenko (38-5 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) is a big deal for Bader. Yes, he is aware that he is about to go up against one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, but after getting past his, “I’m fighting Fedor in a week-and-a-half” sinking-in moment, the current Bellator 205-pound champ is now all business. “If this was 10 fights, 20 fights earlier in my career, (being starstruck) would be the case, I would be sitting there like, ‘Holy (expletive), I’m standing across from Fedor and he’s about to try to take my head off,’” Bader told reporters, including MMAjunkie, during Bellator 214 open workouts at Viacom headquarters in Hollywood. “But now, I’ve been in there with those top guys

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Starstruck? Bellator champ Ryan Bader has faced enough greats to see only ‘Fedor of today’ – MMA Junkie

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