Overview
- Bader pulled out of the Dec. 30 heavyweight championship bout in Saitama, Japan that was set against Alexander Soldatkin.
- He said he felt a pop in training before imaging revealed a near-complete detachment on the right pubic plate, a partial detachment on the left, a Grade 2 rectus abdominis strain, and a partial adductor tear with tendinosis.
- He plans to undergo surgery early next week and no timetable has been announced for his return.
- Bader noted this is the first time in 44 professional fights he has withdrawn after starting a training camp and he apologized to RIZIN and fans.
- The bout would have marked his first appearance since a February 2024 loss to Renan Ferreira, following a layoff that included an acting role in The Smashing Machine.