TUF 8 finalist Ryan Bader: My goal for the last eight months was to win 'The Ultimate Fighter'.

PAC-10 champion and NCAA Division 1 All-American wrestler “Darth” Ryan Bader (5-0) answered some questions this past weekend for Fighters.com about his participation in The Ultimate Fighter 8 and his upcoming bout versus BJJ world champion “Pezao” Vinicius Magalhaes (3-3).

The light heavyweights will vie for the title of “The Ultimate Fighter” at the live finale 13 December in Las Vegas.

Fighters.com’s top heavyweight contender “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and Frank Mir (11-3) served as coaches for the season.

Fighters.com:  Is the Ryan Bader we saw on The Ultimate Fighter the real Ryan Bader?  Do you feel you were portrayed accurately?

Ryan Bader:  Most definitely, I thought they did a great job portraying the fighters’ true personalities, at least, if the fighters were actually being themselves.  But I have no qualms whatsoever about how they portrayed me on the show.

Fighters.com:  Do you think any of the cast was misrepresented because of the editing?

Ryan Bader:  In the end I feel that everybody got their true personalities out.  Some things were over hyped.  Vinny [Magalhaes] really isn’t that much of a dick, and Eliot [Marshall (4-1)] is actually very respectful.  Junie [Allen Browning (2-0)] is a nut just as he was portrayed.

Fighters.com:  Are there any scenes you would have added or taken out if you’d been in charge of the show?  Would you have given anyone more or less airtime?

Ryan Bader:  Probably have given Junie less airtime with his antics but they got the ratings that they wanted from that.  The sushi incident could have gone without making the show, which was pretty disgusting.  I also would have liked to have seen more footage of the training, but the people at Spike are professionals and know how to get the ratings.

Fighters.com:  Who did you get along with the best at the house?

Ryan Bader:  I was closest to Kyle Kingsbury (8-1) and Efrain Escudero (6-0). Both are from Arizona and both were on my team.  I knew Kyle from ASU before the show, so we already had that relationship.  So it was very interesting when we got called to fight each other to get into the house.  Efrain and I knew each other from the wrestling world and just clicked.  I got along with everybody in the house though.  All were pretty good guys.

Fighters.com:  Your team was very close-knit and like a family, while Team Mir did not have the same dynamic.  How much of your success on the show do you attribute to being on Team Nogueira?  Would you have done as well had you been chosen by Mir?

Ryan Bader:  I think that I would have done just as well.  In the end, this is an individual thing and you have to keep that in mind and work towards your goal, which should be to win the tournament.  That being said, I loved being on Nogueira’s team, I had a great time, we all got along great, and I learned so much from the coaching staff and fighters themselves.  I have made life long friends and have made great contacts.

Fighters.com:  I understand that you’ve been getting serious about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and have even purchased a gi.  How much of this interest is from working with Nogueira and how much is preparation for your upcoming fight with Vinny?

Ryan Bader:  Those two factors didn’t really push me towards working with the GI, I just wanted to immerse myself in the game and that is the best way.  I am trying to do each and every thing I can do to elevate my game and make me a more well-rounded fighter.  I am enjoying it and will continue to work BJJ as well as all the other aspects.

Fighters.com:  Vinny’s strength is obviously his jiu-jitsu, whereas you are the better striker.  How do you plan on keeping the fight standing?

Ryan Bader:  If I want to keep the fight standing I will use my wrestling. That’s what I love about having a strong wrestling background; I can dictate where the fight goes. Wrestling also gave me a great base for defending submissions.  Also, Vinny is able to pull guard when he is close to the fence, so keeping away from the cage will help a lot.

Fighters.com:  You wrote in your blog about the semi-final fight between Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8-1) and Vinny that once Vinny took Krzysztof down it was only a matter of time before Vinny submitted him.  How will you avoid the same fate if Vinny manages to take the fight to the mat?

Ryan Bader:  I believe that my jiu-jitsu and submission defense is at a much higher level than Kyzysztof.  I believe that if it goes to the ground I can use that with heavy ground and pound to keep myself safe and out of his submissions.

Fighters.com:  Who has been working with you on your standup and your submission defense?

Ryan Bader:  I work with a bunch of different people on the ground.  Gustavo Dantes (1-0) is the main jiu-jitsu instructor and is a high level black belt.  I have also been doing a lot of work with Jacob McClintock (2-0) who has a similar style with rubber guard, flying triangles, etc.

Fighters.com:  What are your thoughts leading up to this fight?  How do you feel about fighting in front of thousands of live, screaming fans, and do you think it will affect your focus?

Ryan Bader:  I feel great; it’s been a while since I have fought since we were unable to do so because of the show.  The crowd does not bother me at all, if anything it gets me going.  I have had fights in front of thousands before and I have also wrestled in front of twenty thousand people at nationals so I have been there before.  I am looking forward to the fight and looking forward to giving the fans a great show!

Fighters.com:  We now know that both finalists are likely to earn contracts in the UFC, which wasn’t apparent in the finals of the original TUF seasons.  How does that affect your mindset about the fight?  Does it take pressure off knowing that win or lose, you’ll most likely get a shot in the UFC?

Ryan Bader:  That is not always the case and I will go into this fight with the mindset that it is a “must win” situation.  I don’t ever think like that, in the aspect of, ‘If I lose it is ok because I will still get a contract.’  First and foremost I need to win and then we will go from there.

Fighters.com:  How important is the title “The Ultimate Fighter” these days, with so many contestants getting the opportunity to fight in the UFC?  And how important is that title to you?

Ryan Bader:  It is extremely important to me.  I have put a lot of time and effort to be where I am at right now.  My goal for the last eight months was to win The Ultimate Fighter.  So until I obtain that goal I will not be happy.  That title also comes with its perks such as sponsorships, TV time, etc.

Fighters.com:  You said in TUF that you don’t want to fall back on your degree and go back to a desk job.  Will you do anything with your marketing degree, or is it strictly a back-up plan?

Ryan Bader:  I love fighting and I love being an athlete.  I will pursue this for however long that I can.  I have my degree and that is a backup plan.  I don’t want to look back and say that I could have done this; I should have done that, etc.  I am doing that now so there are no regrets later on in life.  Later on, yes, I may do something with my degree, but as of now I am enjoying what I am doing.

Fighters.com:  You recently returned from a trip to Miami to (try to) visit Nogueira.  When do you plan on visiting him again?

Ryan Bader:  I am not sure, that was my first time to Miami and I had a great time.  I talk to him occasionally.  A couple of us from the show are looking to go to Brazil sometime in February.  Maybe we can get together with him then.  He is a great guy, and always welcomes us.

Fighters.com:  Dana White told you all at the end of taping that the show will change your lives.  How has your life changed since the show aired, in terms of recognition, opportunities, and otherwise?  Has it been what you expected?

Ryan Bader:  The exposure has been awesome; more sponsors are looking at us, which in turn means more money.  Obviously recognition has gone way up and everybody has been very cool.  It has gone above and beyond what I expected and after I win this contract, it will only get better!