Ryan Bader was supposed to walk into Saitama on New Year’s Eve and make his RIZIN debut in a heavyweight title bout, starting a new chapter after a year of setbacks, filming, and extended absences from competition. Instead, only days before his trip to Japan, he found himself penning out an update that no fighter ever wants to give. One bad turn in training camp, one MRI, and his long-awaited return was over in an instant.

The timing complicates matters even more. ‘Darth’ has not fought since February, when Renan Ferreira defeated him in 21 seconds at the PFL vs. Bellator event. Then came months of filming The Smashing Machine with Dwayne Johnson, followed by negotiations, a release from the PFL, and eventually an agreement with RIZIN, only for this injury to put everything on hold. And from the way he explained it, this wasn’t just a tweak. It was catastrophic.

Ryan Bader details the brutal injury that forced him out

On Instagram, Ryan Bader didn’t hide behind vague language or a simple “I’m injured.” He described the damage piece by piece, and the list was really shocking, to say the least. “Bad news, guys… I’m out of the Rizin NYE championship fight,” he stated, adding that he did everything he could to stay in.

But following the MRI, there was no avoiding the truth: surgery was necessary. “Headed to get surgery early next week to get on the better side of this.” Then followed the breakdown. On his right side, the pubic plate, rectus abdominis, and adductor aponeurosis were nearly completely detached, resulting in full-thickness tears with active fluid tracking.

The left side wasn’t spared either, with a partial detachment and tear along the same muscle chain. A Grade 2 rectus abdominis strain was also a part of the long list, as was a torn, tendinotic adductor longus. It’s the kind of injury list that makes even experienced fighters wince. And the part that hit the hardest? This is Bader’s first mid-camp withdrawal in 44 fights.

So, as expected, he apologized to RIZIN and the Japanese fans, claiming that he genuinely wanted to be there. But, for the time being, he’ll spend the end of the year in surgery, not in Saitama or on a movie set, hoping that his rehabilitation goes well enough to allow him to return in 2026. And while fans will be saddened to see him missing the event, it is worth noting that just like his RIZIN debut, the former UFC star almost missed out on being a part of the Dwayne Johnson starrer ‘The Smashing Machine’ as well.

Ryan Bader almost missed out on his acting debut with Dwayne Johnson

Before the injury forced his withdrawal, Ryan Bader’s year had already been marked by near misses, the most unexpected of which had nothing to do with fighting. Just like he almost missed out on his RIZIN debut due to bad luck, he nearly missed out on his biggest Hollywood opportunity, all because he didn’t recognize a number on his phone.

In an interview, ‘Darth’ admitted that he thought the unknown number calling was unimportant, so he “blew off” Benny Safdie‘s messages for weeks, unaware that he was speaking with the director of The Smashing Machine. Safdie kept trying, Bader eventually picked up, and he was cast as Mark Coleman, a role he had no idea he was being considered for.

And while he had initial doubts, they vanished as soon as he came onto the set. With the support of Dwayne Johnson and the rest of the team, the former UFC fighter developed a rhythm in the film and delivered one of the most talked-about performances in the MMA community this year. And while instead preparing for New Year’s Eve in Saitama, he’s about to undergo surgery—but at least he didn’t miss every opportunity 2025 threw at him.