The Sanford Pentagon hosts Bellator 298 this Friday, and this promises to be an occasion to remember with two top fights headlining the fight night action. The main event is the Welterweight showdown between Logan Storley and Brennan Ward. The co-main event sees Valentin Moldavsky and Steve Mowry clash in the Heavyweight division. Here, we look ahead to the action and name our Bellator 298 betting picks.
Bellator is a Mixed Martial Arts franchise, not to be confused with the UFC franchise. The UFC, headed by Dana White, is the main organization in MMA. Their next major event is UFC 292, which will be at TD Garden in Boston next weekend (August 19th).
We will also be naming UFC betting picks on that event, so be sure to check back in the week leading up to the night’s action.
The main event on the night is between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley, who will be competing for the UFC Bantamweight Championship. In the latest UFC Vegas betting odds, Sterling is the favorite to retain his title at -275. O’Malley is the underdog at +225.
But for now, we’re focusing our attention on Bellator 298. Although the Bellator franchise isn’t as well known as its UFC rival, it has to be said the organization is growing in size and stature as Bellator 298 has a card to rival any night’s fight action.
Let’s take a closer look.
| Bellator 298 Main Card Odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Stanley | -264 | -264 | -264 |
| Brennan Ward | +205 | +205 | +205 |
| Valentin Moldavsky | -285 | -285 | -285 |
| Steve Mowry | +225 | +225 | +225 |
| Aaron Jeffery | +130 | +130 | +130 |
| Dalton Rosta | -160 | -160 | -160 |
| Sidney Outlaw | +165 | +165 | +165 |
| Islam Mamedov | -205 | -205 | -205 |
| James Gallagher | +120 | +120 | +120 |
| James Gonzales | -150 | -150 | -150 |
The best UFC betting sites are offering odds on this Friday’s Bellator 298, and they make Logan Storley their favorite to win the night’s main event.
Logan Storley is ranked No.1 in the Welterweight division and has a record of 14 wins and two defeats. Eight of his wins came via knockout, with the other six by decision. His two defeats also came by decision.
Storley is a former interim champion. He had a three-bout winning streak that ended in his last outing. Losing by a unanimous decision to Yaroslav Amosov in Dublin at Bellator 291 in February this year.
Before that loss, he had enjoyed a good 2022, with impressive wins coming over Michael Page (split decision) and Neiman Gracie (unanimous).
Brennan Ward is the No.7 ranked fighter in the Welterweight division. The 35-year-old from Connecticut has a record of 17 wins and six losses in his mixed martial arts career. Two of his six losses have come via knockout, with the other four by submission.
Out of Ward’s 17 wins, 12 came by knockout, four from submission, and one by decision.
Ward had five years out of MMA after losing by a vicious choke hold to Fernando Gonzalez in August 2017 (Bellator 182). He returned in February 2022, defeating Brandon Bell by TKO at Bellator 274. He has since followed that up with wins over Kassius Kayne (TKO) and Sabah Homasi (TKO).
It has been an impressive three wins from Ward on his return, but this is a step up in class for the Waterford man.
Logan Storley will be 31 next month, with Brennan Ward having just turned 35. Experience counts for a lot in this sport, but so do fresher legs and fists. But what makes this fight all the more intriguing is that Storley is coming back from a big defeat against Yaroslav Amosov earlier this year.
The loss can go one of two ways. It can be a proverbial kick up the backside for Storley, a wake-up call. Or it could be a major blow to his confidence. We think it will be the former, and we believe it will make Logan Storley more determined, so we are making him our pick to win the fight.
The co-main event is a heavyweight showdown between Valentin Moldavsky and Steve Mowry. The best Vegas betting sites make Moldavsky their odds on favorite at -285, with Mowry +225 to upset the odds and beat the 31-year-old Russian.
These two have a history. Back at Bellator 284 in August 2022, less than a minute into the fight it had to be declared a ‘no contest’ after Moldavsky accidentally poked Mowry in the eye, rendering him unable to continue. Making this the rematch, if you can call it that.
Valentin Moldavsky has an 11-3 career in Mixed Martial Arts. His wins have come via a combination of one KO/TKO, three submissions, and seven decisions (all unanimous). His three losses have come from two decisions and one KO.
Steve Mowry is unbeaten with ten wins (and one no-contest). Known as ‘Tall’ within the sport, Mowry stands at a commanding 6’7” in height. This makes him a pretty daunting opponent. His ten wins have come via four KO/TKO, with six submissions.
Both of these guys are 31 years of age, so neither has an advantage or disadvantage when it comes to miles in the legs. Where they differ greatly is their style of fighting.
Moldavsky is a canny fighter who can go deep, winning the majority of his fights via decision, whereas Mowry has won all his fights inside the distance, rarely going beyond Round 1.
It is a close fight to call. But Moldavsky is a previous interim Heavyweight champion. He is also ranked No.2 and is looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the No.1 ranked Linton Vassell in his last fight. We think he will do it and make Valentin Moldavsky our pick to win.
See below the best Las Vegas sportsbooks, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
