• UFC 144

Bader knows 'Rampage' dangers

Ryan Bader was beaten by Tito Ortiz in July © Getty Images

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Ryan Bader is confident he has the measure of Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson ahead of the pair's light-heavyweight match-up at the forthcoming UFC 144 in Japan later this month, and says he is prepared for whatever his opponent will throw at him.

The duo face off in Saitama on February 25 in the first UFC event held in Japan in more than 11 years, with their contest the co-main event on the bill.

Bader is aiming to continue his recovery from two straight defeats to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz which started with a 77-second knockout of Jason Brilz in his last outing at UFC 139, and despite having been a fan of Jackson before his own introduction into the UFC, Bader is on a definite mission.

"You can go back with your career afterwards and say I fought all these guys, but now's not the time," he told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "Now, I get a name like 'Rampage,' and my mindset changes.

"It's not 'Rampage' the guy I grew up watching. It's 'Rampage' the guy standing across the cage that I've got to go out there and beat."

Bader subscribes to the view put forth in some quarters that Jackson has become more and more predictable as he nears the end of his MMA career, and believes that he is well prepared for the challenge which will be presented in just over a fortnight's time.

"You fight a guy like Jon Jones, you really don't know what he's going to bring," he said. "It's hard to bring somebody in and have somebody replicate that.

"But fighting 'Rampage,' you know what he's trying to do. He's trying to walk you down, use head movement, and throw those big bombs on you. He does have some elbows and knees, but watching his fights, you pretty much know what he's going to do.

"But we'll be ready for whatever. Maybe he changed some things up for the Japanese crowd."

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