One of the most violent fighters in Bellator history took the gloves off in retirement in 2024 – but also perhaps to signal his entry into bareknuckle boxing.
Connecticut’s Brennan Ward has signed with BKFC, the promotion announced recently. He will debut Feb. 1 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., an area in which he is hugely popular and served as a big ticket seller in for Bellator over the years.
An opponent for Ward’s BKFC debut has not yet been announced.
Ward went 17-9 in professional MMA from his debut in 2008 up until what he’s called his final MMA fight in August. He compiled a 12-7 record for Bellator and won the promotion’s middleweight tournament in 2013. The victory earned him a title fight vs. then-champ Alexander Shlemenko in 2014. Ward lost by second-round submission.
In the years that followed, Ward pumped out banger fights against Saad Awad, Paul Daley and others. However, he stepped away from the sport in 2018. While it was not known at the time publicly, Ward struggled from a relentless addiction to drugs. After having his daughter, Ward finally figured out how to reroute and become sober.
In 2021, Ward returned to MMA. He went 3-0 in his first three fights back, before he lost a main event against fellow welterweight contender Logan Storley. When Bellator was absorbed by PFL in 2023, Ward merged into the PFL regular season in 2024. He was finished by Don Madge and Magomed Umalatov.
