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Friend of Jerry

Brennan Ward of Bellator MMA on Why He Says Getting Clean Was Harder Than Cage Fighting

Friend of Jerry

Barstool Sports

Health & Fitness

5.0593 Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2023

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Bellator MMA Fighter Brennan Ward joins the show to talk about how he got into fighting, working in the union, his decision to ultimately get clean, if he were ever to consider switching to the UFC, and more! Over 7 years sober, Jersey Jerry opens up and tells his story of past struggles with drug abuse as well as his aim for the show. It was always Friend of Jerry. Brought to you by Diamond Recovery. If you and/or your loved ones are struggling, stay strong and give us a call using the Friend of Jerry number 877-537-7955 New Episodes Every Monday! Be sure to like, comment, share, and subscribe: https://barstool.link/Jerry


You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/FriendOfJerry

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, friend of Jerry listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

0:06.2

Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. And now, this is the moment you've all been waiting for! Stunning five feet for it's just all! Weighing in at 185 pounds.

0:24.9

Fighting!

0:26.2

Out of the funny papers, New Jersey! Presenting from reading! Defending! Undisputed podcast champion of the world! Jersey! here friend of Jerry is back and it's better than ever thanks to the folks over at diamond recovery Diamond Recovery has all levels of care for anybody that's struggling. There, the presenting sponsor for Friend of Jerry and honestly, the show might not be here without them. That's why I made it my business to become a brand ambassador for Diamond Recovery. You can call our Texas number and if you're serious about treatment, they'll even get me on the phone and we can personally chat about you getting sober.

1:25.6

If you are a loved one and struggling, then now is the time to call. Don't worry about insurance coverage. Don't worry about who's going to walk your dog. Just make the call to the 24-7 emissions department and your one step closer to changing your life. The phone number is this. It's 877-537-7955. 7, 9, 5, 5.

1:45.8

Anytime of the day 24, 7, give them a call if you're serious about sobriety and want help. Once again the hotline is 877-537-7955. All right welcome back for an ajiri episode 44 here we got a special guest I'm about to you guys. Brennan Ward from Bellator Brennan. Thanks so much for coming on the show. I seen that clip that went viral and it caught my attention. Now, I don't know much about you and I said, damn, I got to get to notice guy after that clip. You seem like such a humble dude. And you know, it was the, it was the Bellator, I guess one of the press guys asked you, If you would give any advice to anybody out there in active addiction and you know it was the it was the Bellator I guess one of the press guys asked you if you would give any advice to anybody out there in active addiction and you gave some great advice so immediately that caught my attention because you know I have I have a lot of years in the program and once I saw that I was like oh man I got to get to notice guys a fighter he's badass and he's preaching sobriety. So, hey, thanks for coming on, man.

2:46.5

Really appreciate it. Congrats on everything, dude. I just wanted to get to know you a little more, bro. And I think your story can definitely help and touch a lot of people out there. So for me, what I want to know is, before we get to sobriety stuff, how did the fighting come about? in the bellator.

3:05.0

Oh man, I've been fighting for Bellator for a long time now.

3:09.0

You know. sobriety stuff how did the fight income about how did you get in the bell tour oh man i've been fighting for bell to or for a long time now you know i i think i had my first five of them over ten years ago and uh... uh... i went to college in uh... what i yeah i ended up at johnson whales and providence and there was a local promotion around their calls ces and i was fighting uh... i was actually still in college when I signed with Bellatour. I had no more wrestling eligibility so I just started fighting, you know, to make money, you know, when I was in college and then one thing led to another dude I had three good knockouts in a row and I got signed by Belator. So that's how I, yeah.

3:45.0

Yeah.

3:46.0

Were you ever on the fence about UFC?

3:48.3

Did they ever come into play or was it like strictly

3:50.6

barrel Belator UFC never even reached out or anything?

3:54.5

Yeah, and I never, I was, I've been with Belator.

3:57.3

I've only fought for them.

3:59.6

Yeah, I've only fought for them.

4:02.2

You know what I mean?

4:02.9

I fought guys that were, you know, I fought guys who went to the UFC from Bellator or I fought guys that came to Bellator from the UFC, but me myself, I never thought about about going over there, you know. For sure. So you wrestled all four years, high school, all four years college as well. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm pretty big into college wrestling. I've been getting into it like over

4:26.0

the last you know three three and a half years now. I don't know how much you follow if you still do but man. Oh yeah. Incredible sport, dude. Really. Yeah. I love wrestling. I love it. Yeah. I follow it. You know, especially you being here from Jersey, right? Aren't you from Jersey? Yeah. Yeah. Big Big wrestling scene down there man.

4:45.9

Big wrestling.

4:46.7

Wrestling's huge New Jersey.

4:48.6

I'm sure you know that now. You're from Jersey, right? Aren't you from Jersey? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

...

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