Chasing Gold and Staying Clean: The Everyday Pursuits of Brennan Ward

Brennan Ward fights top-ranked welterweight Logan Storley later tonight at Bellator 298

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Brennan Ward faces a significant test later tonight, headlining Bellator 298 against Logan Storley.

Taking place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Ward will fight in his first main event since 2014. He looks to increase his winning streak to four, but it is a different caliber of opponent in Storley, who is the top-ranked welterweight in the division.

If Ward (17-6) defeats Storley, then he will be next in line for a title shot against the undefeated Yaroslav Amosov. That will be no easy task, as Storley (14-2) will look to dictate the fight with his world-class wrestling.

“This fight will tell me a lot about myself,” says Ward. “We’ll see how I can do against an elite wrestler. He knows if he tries to exchange for too long in the pocket, he’s going to sleep. So he can wrestle and he will wrestle. I hope he wants to try his striking against me, but I know I’m going to have to wrestle his bitch-ass all night.”

Ward is in the midst of a remarkable comeback. Until his return in 2022, he had not fought for five years. He fell prey to a horrendous drug addiction, which did not take his life, but it did grip his soul. Ward continues to fight to stay clean each day, which is especially challenging when his former path is always tempting him.

“It was f------ hard to pull the plug on it,” says Ward. “It still is difficult. It’s not that I want to get high every day, but that’s how I dealt with things for so long. The grind is coping with life without it. There’s nothing to mask it anymore.”

Courtesy Bellator

The chance to fight for a title would be a victory in itself. Eight years have passed since Ward last fought for gold in Bellator, losing to Alexander Shlemenko by submission in a bout for the middleweight championship. But he has found new life in the cage since his return, and his TKO victory this February against Sabah Homasi was a spectacular testament to his fighting spirit.

Ward possesses far more courage, toughness, and tenacity than he ever did in the past, even when he was winning a string of fights. At 35, he is now aware of his own limitations, a striking change from when he was in the grip of his addiction.

“I’m taking this real seriously,” says Ward. “I’m in even better shape now than I was for my fight in February. I’m not going to be tired, I’m going to let it rip.”

Storley, 30, was unsuccessful in his attempt to defeat Amosov this past February. Before that, he defeated Michael Page. That was a split decision victory, and Page offered a blueprint for Ward on how to avoid Storley’s takedowns and even work his way back up.

The smart bet is that Storley wrestles Ward for 25 minutes before taking the decision. Yet it would be shortsighted to underestimate Ward.

For all his success, Storley has yet to face an obstacle as determined or stubborn as Ward. Even the stakes are vastly different. A loss for Storley is a setback, but he will recover–while a defeat for Ward completely derails his journey toward the title. This fight represents the last chance at gold for Ward, and he is not going to hold back in his pursuit.

“I know what I’m up against,” says Ward. “Life’s a grind, and this is no different. I’m out here trying to make it. Maybe there still are people questioning me. It doesn’t matter. You’re about to find out you haven’t seen my best yet.”

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The Pick ‘Em Section:

UFC on ESPN welterweight bout: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Vicente Luque

Pick: Rafael dos Anjos

UFC on ESPN featherweight bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu

Pick: Hakeem Dawodu

UFC on ESPN light heavyweight bout: Chris Daukaus vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.

Pick: Khalil Rountree Jr.

Bellator 298 welterweight bout: Logan Storley vs. Brennan Ward

Pick: Brennan Ward

Bellator 298 heavyweight bout: Valentin Moldavsky vs. Steve Mowry

Pick: Valentin Moldavsky

Last week: 5-0

2023 record: 86-51

Justin Barrasso be reached atJBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.