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Ryan Bader: Jon Jones no longer 'untouchable'
Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champ Ryan Bader had some strong words for UFC's Jon Jones. Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Bader: Jon Jones no longer 'untouchable'

Ryan Bader is the reigning Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, but the two-division star still has eyes on the man who is arguably the most talented UFC competitor in history.

Bader, who held a perfect professional record of 12-0 until he lost to Jon Jones at UFC 126 in February 2011, told Bloody Elbow's Shakiel Mahjouri he would like another shot at "Bones" down the road:

“Guys are coming up and they’re getting better but I think there is a big mental game. Years and years ago, Jon Jones was untouchable. You couldn’t win a round against him,” Bader explained. “As you start seeing other people be successful, you stop walking out there like, ‘I can’t beat this guy.’ You start thinking, ‘I can definitely beat him. Look how close others have come. Why not me?’"

Bader added that he feels he's in his prime and better than ever at the age of 36. 

Jones, the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, last competed in the Octagon in February when he earned a controversial decision over Dominick Reyes. 

14 of 21 media members listed on MMADecisions.com scored the bout in favor of Reyes. 

Bader last fought in the UFC in November 2016. He signed with Bellator the subsequent March

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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