Bellator boss Scott Coker praises Brennan Ward after fighter rescues baby from traffic

Bellator chief Scott Coker praised Brennan Ward’s “big heart” after the welterweight rescued a baby from a busy intersection.

Ward, who fights out of Waterford, Conn., was driving Monday evening when he noticed cars swerving around a baby carriage in a busy intersection, he told WTNH’s News 8. He got out of his car and pushed the carriage to a fire department station that happened to be across the street.

Police arrived on scene shortly afterward and tracked down the baby’s 25-year-old father, who was badly intoxicated, one-half mile away at a train station. The man was taken into custody.

“(Ward) saved a situation that could have been a really bad story,” Coker told MMAjunkie during a conference call in support of Bellator 163 on Nov. 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Ward, a onetime middleweight contender, hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with civil servants. He was arrested in his hometown on multiple charges this summer after fighting with and threatening police.

Ward downplayed his actions and said he just wanted to see the baby safe.

“I think anybody would have done it,” he said. “Obviously not the cars swerving around it, but most people would stop.”

A recent submission loss to Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos at Bellator 153 brought an end to a four-fight streak for Ward (13-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), leaving the stakes unclear for his Spike-televised fight with Saad Awad (19-8 MMA, 7-5 BMMA) at Bellator 163. But after the fighter’s good deed, he’s earned some goodwill from his promoter.

“That’s an amazing story, and we’re proud of him,” Coker said.

For more of Bellator 163, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.