For fighting fans, this Friday at the Sanford Pentagon features some top-flight MMA action at Bellator 298. The main event of the evening will be a welterweight battle between former interim Bellator Welterweight Champion Logan Storley and Brennan Ward (17-6). Meanwhile, the show is also set to feature a heavyweight bout between another former interim champion, Valentin Moldavsky (Heavyweight Title), and Steve Mowry. As noted in one article, this duo previously faced off at Bellator 284 almost a year to the day (August 12, 2022) at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls. However, that fight ended in a no contest as a result of an accidental eye poke by Moldavsky during the first round.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each of these fighters along with more notes and information about Bellator wagering.
Bellator 298 | The Pick | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Logan Storley vs. Brennan Ward | Storley | -265 | -265 | -265 |
Valentin Moldavsky vs. Steve Mowry | Moldavsky | -240 | -240 | -240 |
What to look for from: Logan Storley
A fighter with an impressive athletic background, Storley returns home to South Dakota for this showdown with Ward. The 30-year-old has a dynamic wrestling resume as a six-time SDHSAA state champion as a high schooler and was also a four-time NCAA Division I All-American for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Currently, he is recognized as the No. 10 overall fighter in the Bellator men’s pound-for-pound rankings. With 14 wins and two losses, the South Dakotan is looking for a rebound performance here after losing to Yaroslav Amosov in February in a contest for the Bellator Welterweight World Championship. While he did come up short in that battle, he was able to go the distance against the undefeated champion.
What to look for from: Brennan Ward
Another excellent fighter in the welterweight division, Ward is on his comeback tour after taking a five-year hiatus from the sport following a bout with drug addiction. Since coming back to the promotion in 2022, he has notched three consecutive TKO victories and has looked very sharp in all of his matchups. With a record of 17-6, this could be his biggest fight since Bellator 114 where he lost a battle for the Bellator Middleweight Championship. With 12 knockout victories in his career, Ward is one of the heaviest hitters in the division and is very focused on keeping the momentum going.
Prediction: A matchup that should certainly wow the fans, take the native son Storley to win here, and bounce back from his title defeat.
What to look for from: Valentin Moldavsky
Another former interim champion in this showcase article, Moldavsky is a devastating fighter, currently ranked as the No. 2 fighter in the Bellator Heavyweight rankings. With a professional MMA record of 11-3, the Russian competitor is looking for his first win since June 2021 against Timothy Johnson at Bellator 261. His last three fights have featured some uneven performances since his meteoric rise. He fell in unanimous decision fashion to Ryan Bader at Bellator 273 for the Heavyweight Championship and is coming off a KO loss to Linton Vassell earlier this year. That said, there is still an opportunity for the Russian to get back to his winning ways in South Dakota.
What to look for from: Steve Mowry
With an unblemished MMA record of 10-0-1, “Tall” (Mowry stands a daunting six-feet-eight) has won the majority of his bouts by way of submission (six fights) which is somewhat unusual for the heavyweight division. The 31-year-old is coming off a draw at Bellator 290 where he fought Ali Isaev to a unanimous stalemate. Prior to that, he had won his last three bouts by way of submission (kimura lock in round one against Rakim Cleveland) and also KO/TKO twice (knee to ground and pound). With a strong fundamental skill set, this could be the matchup it takes for Mowry to get a title shot.
Prediction: While Mowry is undefeated, this is the fight that will give him his first loss at Moldavsky is itching for a bounce-back win.
After you are all squared away regarding the latest news and information about Bellator 298, make sure to check out the wide variety of information at your disposal at SBS. Of course, for even more info related to the topic at hand, the MMA betting sites guide has you covered with all the latest betting markets and information on the sport. Moreover, for those looking to maximize their bets, our best bonus betting sites rundown has you covered with a ton of great insights. This includes a catalog of the most recent and updated welcome bonus offers. Finally, for those looking for some deposit and withdrawal variety, then our payment methods breakdown has you covered with a variety of options from crypto to more traditional banking routes.