James Irvin is returning to the cage. | Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com
Bellator MMA’s 11th season will begin on Sept. 5, when UFC veteran James Irvin will meet ex-title challenger Brennan Ward at Bellator 123.
Irvin, 35, fought for both the UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting from 2004 to 2010 but has competed on the local circuit since his Octagon release, going 3-3 with one no contest in his last seven outings. “The Sandman” last fought in April 2012, suffering a second-round knockout to Scott Rosa under the Gladiator Challenge banner.
Ten years younger than his foe, Ward ran through Bellator’s Season 9 middleweight tournament, stopping Justin Torrey, Joe Pacheco and Mikkel Parlo to secure his shot at champion Alexander Shlemenko. “Storm” proved too much for the prospect to handle, however, as Ward was submitted by the Russian in a failed March 28 title bid.