Ryan Bader Withdraws from RIZIN New Year’s Eve Title Fight

Ryan Bader did not make his RIZIN debut. He was scheduled to challenge Alexander Soldatkin for the heavyweight title at RIZIN’s December 31, 2025 event, but withdrew after an injury in training required surgery. RIZIN announced that the bout was canceled.

The title fight is canceled

The booking followed RIZIN’s 2025 heavyweight Grand Prix. Soldatkin advanced through the tournament and was set to meet Bader for the championship, but the injury ended those plans before fight night.

A planned RIZIN appearance

Bader’s earlier Bellator and UFC results remain the basis of his MMA record. The title opportunity against Soldatkin would have been his first RIZIN bout.

Soldatkin had earned his place in the title bout by advancing through the RIZIN heavyweight tournament, where his size and striking made him a difficult matchup. Bader’s wrestling and championship experience would have made the contest a test of contrasting styles. The withdrawal left RIZIN without the planned international title matchup for its year-end show. RIZIN later canceled the bout rather than name a replacement opponent for Bader, leaving Soldatkin’s tournament victory as the last completed step toward the proposed title defense.

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