Ryan Budder is once again a free agent.
Former Bellator Heavyweight Champion broke up with the PFL friendly, despite one fight remaining on his contract. He last appeared in the promotion in February 2024, losing to Rennan Ferreira. This was ultimately the only battle with the PFL.
A source close to the situation confirmed the news of the MMA Fighting on Thursday. Ariel Helwani was the first to report the news.
Following his battle with Ferreira in 2024, Budder went to acting after winning a supportive role with Dwayne “Rock” Johnson in the upcoming film Smashing Machinethis is based on the life of UFC and pride veteran Mark Kerr.
After filming the rap, Badder revealed that there is still one fight left in his deal with the PFL, but he didn’t know when he would return to action. Currently, Bader has split from the PFL and has made him a free agent, but it remains to be seen where he will fight next.
Over the past few years, Badder reinvented himself as a heavyweight with a 6-1 record in one contest in eight fights. His only defeat came in the battle with Ferreira, but he recorded victory under the names of Chick Congo, Valentin Morduvsky and Pride legend Feder Emelianko.
Of course, Bader also has a lot of history with Light Heavyweight. This is where he fought in the UFC for most of his career. That said, Badder previously said he didn’t want to cut to 205 pounds again, so it’s likely he’s stuck in the heavyweights for the future.
It’s unclear where he’s finished, but Bader is free to sign the promotion after receiving the release from PFL.