UFC 132 Results: Should Ryan Bader Still Be Considered a Top Prospect?

For former Ultimate Fighter winner and current light-heavyweight prospect Ryan Bader, 2011 has been a bad year.

Bader began the year taking on Jon Jones for No. 1 contender status when former champion Rashad Evans was forced off the card at UFC 128 against Shogun Rua.  

Looking to go toe-to-toe with the now current champion, Bader was unable to deal with Jones' fast strikes and powerful takedowns, tapping out to Jones' guillotine in the second round.

Bader, who had not lost a fight up until that point, was looking to rebound tonight against an over-the-hill Tito Ortiz who should have been no problem for the young, wrestling-oriented star.

But as MMA has proven time and time again, never underestimate the underdog.

Wasting no time at all, Ortiz landed a huge punch that sent Bader to the canvas.  Quickly capitalizing on the knock down, Ortiz sunk in an arm in a guillotine choke, finishing the young light-heavyweight early in the first round.

The win, Ortiz's first in almost five years, was a shocker to everyone watching.

What this second consecutive submission loss means for Bader is that his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and striking game are nowhere near up to par.

One can forgive Bader for tapping out to Jones because the current champion is a phenom with world class grappling and striking coaches behind him.

But once you get knocked down and tap out to an old, washed up Tito Ortiz, then that one-time fluke becomes a major gap in your game.

There's no question that Bader is a gifted fighter.  He's a good wrestler and has heavy hands. But after this loss, his status as the top prospect at 205 comes into serious question.

What Bader has to do going forward is work on his stand-up and jiu-jitsu.  Ortiz made him look just awful in both departments, although not nearly as bad as Jones did.

If Bader wants to regain his position in the light-heavyweight division, he will have to change his whole gameplan.  Wrestling may be the best base for a mixed martial artist, but striking and submissions should never be overlooked.

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