Well this was unexpected. Not only are Johny Hendricks and Brennan Ward not retired from MMA, they are fighting each other in bare knuckle boxing. Wait, what?
When we last checked in with Big Rigg, he was getting bludgeoned by Paulo Costa in a middleweight fight. That bout was nearly a year ago and Hendricks got steamrolled. Eight months later Hendricks announced his retirement from MMA to focus on coaching wrestling.
Yet here we are.
Now Hendricks and his personal weight cutting roller coaster is taking his talents to the World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation. Yes, bare knuckle boxing now has a federation and it feels like a new BKB promotion pops up every week. Hendricks is set to headline World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation’s first foray into an online pay-per-view on Friday November 9 in Casper, Wyoming.
From the sound of it, this is also World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation first show, like ever. What could wrong?
Opposite of Hendricks will be longtime Bellator veteran Brennan Ward. When we last saw Ward he was scheduled for Bellator 207 in October but pulled out of the fight so he can retire from MMA.
Just kidding?
Ward lost his last two Bellator fights in 2017 by stoppage, including becoming part of Paul Daley’s sizzle reel and eating a flying knee back in January 2017.
The World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation has also signed Chris Leben, Phil Baroni, Melvin Guillard, Josh Neer and former NFL player Shawne Merriman for their first event.
What are the odds this event kicks off as is?
35 year old Johny Hendricks and 30 year old Brennan Ward are going to fight bare knuckle boxing in 2018? What a time to be alive.
H/T to @FightBookMMA for the find
