Brennan Ward shatters opponent’s nose in BKFC debut

Brennan Ward and bareknuckle boxing have long advertised the same sort of violence.

So it’s unsurprising that Saturday at BKFC on DAZN 4, Ward (1-0) spilled blood at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The blood was not his own.

In a 175-pound bout that served as the co-main event, Ward quickly disposed of opponent James Dennis (2-2) with a nose-shattering left hook that ended the fight 38 seconds into the opening round.

Ward, 36, is under a multifight deal with the promotion after he departed his longtime home of Bellator (which merged into PFL) in late 2023. Ward had previously been booked for two bareknuckle boxing matches, one in 2018 and one in 2019, but neither materialized.

Ward then went on a hiatus from combat sports, which he later revealed to MMA Junkie was due to a battle with severe drug addiction. He returned to MMA competition in 2022 and won three straight fights before a three-fight skid prior to his Bellator/PFL departure.