Post by xx - Former Phoenix Fight Club on Aug 31, 2016 22:25:16 GMT -5
~ August 31st, 2016 ~
-Vancouver, BC, Canada-
With a press release earlier today on the on their website, Phoenix FC not only announced the acquisition of ManNXT standout FW Jennifer Maia (1-1) as compensation for the losses of HW Tito Ortiz, MW Jon Fitch & FW Karolina Kowalkiewicz to the psuedo-expansion draft held by ManMMA welcoming the new team, The Texas Rattlesnakes to the MannMMA fold, but also announced that former Phoenix FC member and original "Face of the Franchise" before Brock Lesnar arrived with the club, HW Ryan Bader (8-17) has come back and signed with PFC after 7 seasons away from the club; at the league cost of 2 points.
Bader defeating Mark Coleman in his ManMMA debut at ManMMA 57.
Despite only amassing a 3-9 record since leaving PFC after ManMMA 124, a submission victory over teammate at the time, Dave Bautista, and having not seen ManMMA action since ManMMA 239, a submission loss to Roy Nelson, both PFC & Bader seem optimistic about the future as Bader tweeted this afternoon: "It's back to my roots! No excuses. Time to RISE again with #PhoenixFC. #UnfinishedBusiness" with Phoenix FC responding: "Time to finish what we started. Welcome Home, Darth..
With the loss of Ortiz to the Rattlesnakes, Bader re-joins a roster of PFC HWs that are already impressive in their own right and just adds to a rich talent pool, though much of it untapped as of yet. It will also be interesting to see how the former face of the franchise fits in with current ManMMA HW Champion, Brock Lesnar at the helm of Phoenix FC moving forward, but one thing is for certain... Bader Is Back! ...and he's back where it all started here in ManMMA. Will it be full circle for the wayward HW or will he just be another guy? Time will tell... but as it sits right now, 'Darth' Bader is looking to take back his Empire... Should be fun to watch.
Have 9 points in celebration of this monumental achievement!