Though retired from mixed martial arts, former Bellator MMA star Brennan Ward fights on.
Ward has signed a deal with BareKnuckle FC (BKFC), the world’s leading bareknuckle boxing promotion, and is set to debut on February 1, 2025 in Uncasville, CT. News of the signing was first reported by MMA Junkie. No opponent has been announced for Ward’s debut, which comes less than a year after the 36-year old walked away from MMA.
“Irish” Brennan Ward became known for explosive action under the Bellator banner, where he competed for over a decade. Ward debuted for the company in 2012 after appearing for New England’s CES MMA, and quickly became a fan favorite.
Behind the scenes, however, Ward was struggling with addiction, and vanished from fighting between 2017 and 2022 as a result. Ward’s story was documented by MMA Junkie’s Nolan King ahead of his 2022 return; things had gotten so bad, the fighter was faking drug test samples to avoid detection.
After three straight wins off his 2022 return, Ward wound up in high-profile bouts with Logan Storley, Don Madge, and Magomed Umalatov, the latter two coming under the PFL banner. Losing all three, he announced his retirement following the loss to Umalatov in June 2024.
With 12 knockouts, however, bareknuckle seems uniquely suited to Brennan Ward.
