Brandon Girtz is ready to get crazy.
After a successful career in the world of MMA, he makes his highly anticipated BKFC debut at BKFC 31 in Denver on Oct. 15, LIVE on the BKFC app.
Girtz is preparing diligently for his transition to bare knuckle fighting, and enjoying the process. He’s healthier in body and spirit than he’s been in years. His striking is sharper than it’s ever been.
He’s doing everything he can to prepare for his debut, but Girtz believes he can only prepare so much for his first foray in the unrelenting, unforgiving and unpredictable world of bare knuckle fighting.
“It’s a little nutty. This whole thing is a little nutty,” Girtz says heading into his debut. “Bare knuckle is a whole different animal, and your only option is to just bite down on your mouthguard and push forward, or it’s not going to end well for you.”
Girtz hasn’t fought since 2020. His MMA career includes 26 professional fights, including 16 under the Bellator MMA banner. The former NCAA Division II All American out of Minnesota State had several high-profile fights for Bellator, like his 2018 battle with Michael Chandler. But Girtz’s career was marred with injuries; he had to undergo a surgery each year for the final seven years of his MMA career.
“MMA is a cruel sport, and it got to the point where I really wasn’t into it,” Girtz says. “It wasn’t that I was burned out on fighting; I was burned out on being injured, and really burned out in life.”
Girtz says he’s done a complete 180 in the two years since his last MMA fight. He’s given himself time to get healthy and he’s in a terrific relationship with a new son. He even bought a piece of land, carving out a place for his family to call their own.
Girtz is at a happy place in life, but he’s eager to add a little chaos to the mix at BKFC 31 in Denver.
“I’m not looking too far into the future,” he says. “I’m just happy to fight, because this is what I love to do. BKFC is the purest and most primal combat sport there is, and I’m excited to jump into the deep end.”
Photo courtesy Garrett Augustus.
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