BKFC welterweight contender Connor “The Brum Town Bomber” Tierney officially retired shortly after his stoppage defeat to Rico Franco at BKFC 90.
Tierney was knocked down five times during the one-sided loss to Franco, who previously defeated the Birmingham fan favourite by stoppage in 2019.
Unbeknownst to fans, Tierney suffered a broken jaw from an unintentional headbutt in the first round, and courageously fought on with the jaw injury and a “rolled ankle”.
After the fight, he officially retired in an Instagram post, thanking his fans, his partner Natalie and his coaching staff, and praising Franco for beating him.
If you want to see footage of Tierney’s jaw injury, check out the World Star Hip Hop video (GRAPHIC FOOTAGE WARNING).
Tierney’s jaw was wired shut Sunday, a procedure he described as “absolute agony”.
He was scheduled to have a jaw operation early Monday morning.
Fellow fighters praised Tierney for all he’s done for the sport of bare knuckle, including George Thorpe and veteran Paul “The Soul Snatcher” Hilz.
“A one off athlete, achieved more than most could ever dream of, Someone I looked up to from the start 🙌,” wrote Hilz in a reply to a Tierney health update posted yesterday.
If this is indeed Tierney’s last bare knuckle fight, Bare Knuckle Heroes would like to take the time to thank Connor Tierney for all he’s done for the sport and wish him a speedy recovery and the best for the future. It takes a special kind of man or woman to get in the ring and exchange bare fisted punches with an opponent trying to separate you from your senses. And Tierney was a heck of a fighter and ambassador for the sport during a successful career.
Photo Credit: BKFC
