The UFC Athlete Outfitting partnership with Reebok hit many fighters hard in the pocket in terms of sponsorship dollars. Veteran light heavyweight Ryan Bader said he was one of them.

Bader (22-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who joined the Bellator roster this year after a lengthy UFC tenure, was the only active 205-pound fighter in the sport with 20 or more UFC appearances. That put him just below the highest tier for a non-title-fight fighter, which comes with a sponsorship payout of $15,000 per fight.

Compared to his divisional colleagues, Bader’s earnings were high on the scale. However, he said it was a significant decrease from what he made earlier in his career before the Reebok deal came into play. That’s changed now that he’s with Bellator, though.

With Bader once again allowed to secure his own sponsors, he said already has a full docket of supporters lined up for his promotional debut against Bellator light heavyweight champion Phil Davis (17-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) at Bellator 180, which takes place June 24 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“It will be three to four times what I was getting with Reebok, for sure,” Bader, who’s No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light-heavyweight rankings, told MMAjunkie. “I had a couple really good blue-chip sponsors that have stood by us through the whole Reebok deal that are still there – like the American Ethanols and things of that sort. Then we got some new sponsors coming on board. We’re full for this fight.”

Bader’s situation isn’t necessarily the norm, though. Former UFC champion Benson Henderson, who was among the first in what’s become a notable list of fighters to move from the UFC to Bellator, said he struggled to find solid sponsors for himself because the market had largely dried up from its previous state.

For Bader, though, he said he was able to keep alive relationships from earlier in his career. He said that additional funding keeps his mind at ease going into his Bellator debut, and now he can focus solely on taking the belt from Davis at Bellator 180.

“People are like, ‘Oh, you’re in Bellator, so it’s going to be harder to find sponsors,'” Bader said. “That wasn’t the case at all. There’s more opportunity in that aspect, and we’re full. I’m getting much more money than I was in the UFC in sponsorship revenue. I’m feeling good, I’m excited, and I’m happy to be in Bellator. I’m coming for the belt, and I can’t wait. I’m going to make the best of it.”

For more on Bellator 180 and Bellator NYC check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.