Bellator double champ Ryan Bader will be defending his heavyweight title next, and according to company president Scott Coker, Cheick Kongo is still the top contender. Coker already has an idea in mind for the next title bout after that, though, and it involves former UFC champ and recent Bellator signee Josh Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Bader (27-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), who also holds Bellator’s light heavyweight belt, added the heavyweight strap to his resume in January when he scored a brutal 35-second knockout of Fedor Emelianenko in the finals of the promotion’s heavyweight grand prix at Bellator 214. As Bader was crushing his way through the tournament, Kongo (30-10-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) has put together an eight-fight winning streak, including an upset of the previously unbeaten Vitaly Minakov at Bellator 216 in February
Continued here: