Bellator MMA staple Brennan Ward will replace Kyle Crutchmer and face Don Madge in a 170-pound bout at PFL 3 on April 19. The organization announced the change on Sunday. A reason for Crutchmer’s withdrawal from the event was not given. Ward is now expected to take part in the entirety of PFL’s season format.
PFL 3 takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago and features welterweight and featherweight athletes. The card is headlined by a clash between ex-Bellator champ Andrey Koreshkov and undefeated Bellator veteran Magomed Umalatov.
The 35-year-old Ward has competed under the Bellator banner since 2012, compiling a 12-7 record within the promotion. In his last outing, the Waterford, Connecticut, native had a three-bout winning streak snapped a second-round TKO loss to Logan Storley this past August. Ward owns a 17-7 career mark, with all but one of his triumphs coming inside the distance.
South Africa’s Madge will be competing for the first time since April 2022, when he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Raush Manfio at a PFL regular season event.