The bout lasted all of a minute, as Oliver managed to secure a takedown with relative ease before smoothly transitioning to side control and locking up a tight arm triangle choke. It wasn’t long before the walls began to close in on his opponent Andrew Triolo, tapping the mat and sealing Oliver’s first victory inside the Bellator cage.

Despite the high volume of media coverage and external pressures surrounding the bout, Oliver felt comfortable as he walked to the cage, battling little to no anxiety as he approached the bright lights.

“The craziest thing is that I thought I would have nerves. Even in wrestling, leading up to (matches) I had nerves, getting on the mat I had nerves,” Oliver said during the post-fight press conference. “(Tonight) I had no nerves.”

Oliver spoke about fellow Oklahoma State wrestling alum Daniel Cormier and how he envisions the UFC Hall of Famer reacting to his performance.

“We’re too close – Cormier and all this guys would probably make fun of me. They’d be like ‘You shot too quick. You scared to let your hands go’ They would be very proud, I got in and took care of business,” Oliver said.

Oliver starts his MMA career off on the right foot, moving to (1-0) and showcasing his superstar potential with an early first round stoppage and effectively demonstrating the hard work he put in throughout his first official training camp.

“I wasn’t taking days off. This is something I pictured and imagined for a while…hopefully I can turnaround and get back on a card here pretty quickly,” Oliver said. “If the boss calls me and wants me to fight in two weeks, I’m fighting in two weeks. I love this.”

Jordan Oliver def. Andrew Triolo via submission (Arm Triangle Choke) (R1, 1:05)

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It was a surprised to many except Brennan and his team.

“I feel good that I won. Not to be that guy, but that’s something I’ve been doing a lot in training recently. To the deficit of some of my guys, but I’ve been doing that failed-shot-to-knee quite a bit,” Brenna told Cageside Press among other reporters at his post-fight scrum.

“I’m happy that it paid off, and I’m sure a couple of them are happy that it paid off.”

Brennan normally doesn’t have much of a problem taking his opponents down and working to strangle them, but Almeida proved to be very tough to put on the canvas.

“I was informed ahead of time that he was going to be incredibly strong. I can tell by looking at him that he was going to be very strong. Clearly we anticipated an anti-wrestling sort of style,” he said.

This fight marked only the second time in his professional career that Brennan has reached the third round of a fight. First time came in 2020 when he earned a decision victory over Andrew Salas.

“It’s definitely the most adversity I’ve seen in a fight thus far. Even some tougher early amateur fights. It’s definitely one of the toughest fights I’ve had. An incredibly difficult opponent to stylistically match myself up with,” said Brennan.

“It was fun.”

With a three round sample to work with Brennan sees plenty of homework to do and improvements to make following the win.

“There’s going to be a lot of notes to be taken. We’ll be back to the drawing board on Sunday and get going.”

Back to the drawing board indeed as Brennan stated he’ll return to the Bellator cage before the year is out.

“You will be seeing me by the end of the year. I’m going to go eat a large pizza, eat a little bit of ice cream,” he said.

“And I’ll be back. You’ll be seeing me before 2024.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Lucas Brennan above.

The post Lucas Brennan Trained Knee Strike That Finished Bout, Will Return Before 2024 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I feel relieved. I love competing. I’ve been thinking about this day a lot,” flyweight Kish told media outlets including Cageside Press backstage at the Sanford Pentagon, after notching a unanimous decision win. The victory improved her record under the Bellator banner to 2-2.

She credited her team with keeping her relaxed ahead of, and during, the fight. “They know I was just stressed about getting too hyper in there. They did an amazing job keeping me calm,” said Kish. “Really, I knew staying calm and keeping my head clear would win this for me. From what we’d seen and what we collected from her past fights, everyone was just very hyper and just rushed right in to fight her. And I know that’s what she waits for, and I’m not going to give her that. I wanted to set it up.”

Kish used feints and fakes to try and lure Avsaragova in, “but she didn’t really bite much. She was waiting for me to go forward, she was waiting for me to pressure forward, so we were both kind of playing that game. I knew that if I had a better output, I would get her discouraged and then maybe make her sloppy. The game plan worked great.”

Kish underwent her fifth knee surgery ahead of Bellator 298, but had the mentality of just getting back in there and getting back to work no matter what. “Because I have goals. I have goals, I’ve got dreams, I’ve got things I want to accomplish. And I don’t care what it takes for me to get there, I don’t care what kind of obstacles I face. I’m going to improve as a person, I’m going to improve one way or another if I take things head on.”

“It’s a tough road, but man, the things that happen in my life on these tough roads, it’s incredible, it’s beautiful. I really appreciate the journey and the people that are in my life. Without the injury, I probably wouldn’t have come across certain people, I probably wouldn’t have taken certain paths. So I appreciate everything, the ups, the downs. The picture is still clear for me. I see myself being an MMA world champion. I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to get there.”

Watch the full Bellator 298 post-fight press conference with Justine Kish above.

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Barzola (20-7-2) has been working with AKA, and a couple of familiar fighters in particular, who share a very famous last name: Nurmagomedov.

“I have the best team in the world. Khabib Nurmagomedov,” said Barzola following the fight, who noted he also has “American wrestling. The reason I believe in my team for grappling, for MMA, for takedowns, or whatever. I’m ready for whatever angle comes towards me. I have the best team in the world. Best wrestling, best striking, best jiu-jitsu. I’m just ready for all of it.”

Asked about Khabib’s cousin Umar, Barzola said that “I have been sparring with him, with Umar Nurmagomedov. Kasum [Kasumov], he already won today.” Umar Nurmagomedov may have been forced out of his own fight with Cory Sandhagen recently, but Barzola credited him for contributing to his own success. “I feel very good. I feel very confident for this, in the fight. [They’re] the reason I won today.”

As for Jaylon Bates, his opponent gave him one shock. “I always think this guy was very weak, but no, he surprised me. He’s very tough. He’s so tough,” said Barzola. “He’s very long, he’s got conditioning. He’s like a young lion. I think he has more opportunities for the next fight.” But, noted Barzola, “I have a lot of experience.”

With back-to-back wins over Erik Perez and Bates, Barzola now has his sights set on gold. “Everyone has one opportunity for the title. I want it. I want this opportunity for the title. Bellator, give me this opportunity, please.”

Watch the full Bellator 298 post-fight press conference with Enrique Barzola above.

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Outlaw (17-5) out-wrestled a dangerous Dagestani foe in Islam Mamedov on Friday, returning from both suspension and illness to win a unanimous decision over the former PFL and WSOF standout.

“For six months, I’ve just been using that animosity, all that hurt and pain. I used it in the cage,” Outlaw told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “I’m telling you, it beats any type of therapy, fighting. Probably better than Dr. Phil. Bellator.”

After the win, Outlaw was quick to praise both God and his team. “Guys, I am not good. The people behind me, the people you saw cornering me, they’re good. If I can do this, just imagine what you can do. And I’m telling you the truth.”

Outlaw also discussed feeling healthy for the first time in a while. “I’m just getting better and better. I was sick a while ago. Didn’t know it, just been going through it, thinking it was just a mental thing. I just didn’t know, it messed with my mood,” he explained. “I didn’t know what was going on. I thought everything was mental, and I just kept pushing, pushing, pushing. And then made a couple mistakes, and then I got my health back. The doctor told me ‘yeah you’re sick big dog, you gotta get this taken care of. Forget your fighting for a little bit, focus on your health.’ And once I did, I’m like ‘what, am I even allowed to be this type of guy?'”

Outlaw credits a lot of his recovery to his faith. “I didn’t do anything. Like I said, I’m not the best, I’m just a beast.”

Next up for Outlaw? Maybe getting some training in with opponent Mamedov. And staying busy.

“Hopefully I can get some tips from him, because he’s pretty good. I was trying to take him down; he had a weird posture. I was like ‘okay, he’s definitely different.’ I had to be a little bit different. Fight again, try to keep fighting, try to be active. Because I’m back now. I’m healthy now. I just want to keep testing myself. I’m not going out there to lose, I’m not going out there to win, I’m going out there to let everybody know how I feel and express myself. And put myself in the battlefield.”

Watch the full Bellator 298 post-fight press conference with Sidney Outlaw above.

The post Bellator 298’s Sidney Outlaw: Fighting “Beats Any Type of Therapy” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Storley took on the hard-hitting Brennan Ward, finding a TKO finish for his first stoppage since 2019.

“Just to get it done,” was Storley’s mindset when it came to fighting at home. “Especially coming off a tough fight with Amosov, I needed to prove to myself and prove to everyone that that’s why I’m ranked #1 in the world.”

Getting back to a third fight with Yaroslav Amosov, Bellator MMA’s welterweight champ, is the goal now for Logan Storley.

“For me, this is my second fight in the last five months. So I was staying active. There’s a big thing in this sport of getting back in that locker room, going through the pressure, and doing that walk,” said Storley, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following Friday’s bout. “For me, I felt good, I felt good in there tonight. I felt at home. And so gosh, I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. MVP’s a free agent, Jason Jackson is a teammate of mine. Me and Amosov, that’s my only losses, are to him, one guy. Who I think right now might be pound-for-pound best in any division, in any promotion.”

“That’s one I want to get back, and that was a good start tonight.”

Storley also noted the amount of action he’s seen of late, and how it has helped him grow. “This is big. But it was big to get back to my finishing ways. This is my fourth main event in a row, I’ve fought 75 minutes in the cage since February of 2022. Started with [Neiman] Gracie. This was scheduled for another five round fight. So I’ve got a lot of experience in the last two years, year and a half. I’m continuing to grow as a fighter, and I’m ready to get back and get that belt back.”

Earlier in the week, the South Dakota native was asked about being on the Mount Rushmore of athletes from the state. With the win over Ward, he’s now 6-0 on home turf. Storley’s not ready to put himself on that pedestal just yet however.

“I guess for me, there’s a lot of great athletes from this state, a lot of important people. I think for me to go put myself on that list, I’ve got to go win a belt and defend it a couple times. And I think the state of South Dakota would be really proud of me if I did that. So right now I’m going to leave myself off of that.”

Watch the full Bellator 298 post-fight press conference with Logan Storley above.

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And Sully did just that.

After a few exchanges on the feet, Sully managed to mix in his wrestling, bringing the fight to the ground before locking in a vicious arm triangle choke that left his opponent Hamza Salim unconscious. Cauley asserted his dominance throughout the fight, rebounding from his prior defeat in emphatic fashion.

“It was all mental. Last fight I let it all get to me…this time I was able to have a more normal, relaxed frame of mind,” Cauley said during the post-fight press conference. “I was able to let the skills show and have good timing and be fast.”

Cauley, 27, improves to (6-1) with six first-round finishes under the Bellator banner, and looks to have a very bright future in this sport. It’ll be interesting to see who the former NCAA wrestling standout gets matched up with next, as hopes to fight alongside Bellator heavyweight champion and teammate Ryan Bader this October.

“Get me on there. Get me on there,” Cauley said regarding Bellator 300.

Watch the full Bellator 298 post-fight press conference with Sullivan Cauley above.

The post Sullivan Cauley Scores Impressive First-Round Finish, Calls for Fight at Bellator 300 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Storley, a former interim welterweight champion in the company, was a stellar wrestler with a stifling ground game. Ward was an explosive striker, a brawler, who had overcome personal demons including years of addiction to reemerge in MMA last year.

Logan Storley opened with a leg kick, while Ward stalked the former interim champ and popped his jab. Not surprisingly, there was an early takedown by Storley, but Ward defended with a choke and scrambled out. Another takedown attempt led to another choke attempt by Ward, and Storley was going to have to be careful with his neck. The next takedown by Storley was reversed, only to be reversed again, and this time, Storley got to spend some time in control. From half-guard, Storley went body-head with punches; plenty of time remained on the clock, a full half-round.

Lots of top time, and shots to the body, followed. Storley didn’t do a ton of damage, but was active enough to maintain the position.

Ward opened the second with a jab; Storley answered with a leg kick. Ward fired a right hand, and his uppercut. As he had in the first, Brennan Ward found success early in the round, mixing in a jab to the body this time. But Storley came under a punch to land an explosive takedown, planting Ward on his back against the fence.

From bottom, Ward goaded Storley into standing up— Storley wasn’t biting, and instead moved to mount briefly, dropping ground n’ pound. Ward gave up his back, looking to escape. He covered up, got to a knee, but was dragged back down. Moments later, after another barrage of ground n’ pound, Storley had the TKO, with the ref waving things off as Ward covered up! Ward was not happy with the stoppage, but the visual wasn’t great.

Following the fight, Storley said the plan was to go 2-0 after his loss to Yaroslav Amosov earlier this year. He’s now halfway to his goal — after that, he’s looking for a title shot.

Official Result: Logan Storley def. Brennan Ward by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 2, 4:05

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Opposite Gallagher, welcoming the “StrabAnimal” back to the fold, was James Gonzalez, though it’s impossible to look at the match-up and not think of Cris Lencioni. “Sunshine” was Gallagher’s originally scheduled opponent, but went into cardiac arrest during a medical emergency earlier this summer.

Luckily, Lencioni survived, though he has a long road to recovery ahead. The show must go on, however, and it was Gonzalez again stepping up on short notice, as he had against Aaron Pico not too long ago.

Gallagher had to contend with eating a shot from James Gonzalez early — but he took it, and landed a takedown shortly after. On top, the Irish fighter went to work, settling into guard, where he began creating space to land elbows. Gonzalez, however, would go hunting for a leg lock from bottom, putting Gallagher on the defensive.

Eventually pulling free, Gallagher would get on top once again. From there, he’d have to contend with Gonzalez hunting a leg again, but Gallagher himself would attempt a heel hook while standing. In the end, he’d finish on top landing some very active ground n’ pound.

Round two saw Gonzalez fire a spinning kick to the body early. A feigned jumping attack was followed by a level change for Gallagher, who dragged his opponent down. Gallagher looked the take the back, getting one hook in. Gonzalez ripped the body from bottom, but that also meant accepting the position.

Gonzalez would close his guard, and later transition to an arm-bar attempt. He didn’t have it, and Gallagher moved from north-south to side control, then wound up in Gonzalez’s half-guard. As active as James Gonzalez was off his back, he just wasn’t winning the round from there.

The third and final round saw James Gonzalez turn up the heat. He came out swinging, and backed Gallagher up. But Gallagher landed a key takedown, getting on top and going to work.

This time, the position didn’t last long. Gonzalez scrambled to the fence, where Gallagher threatened to take the back. Gonzalez had other plans. He landed a throw and got on top, coming close to making it to mount. Gallagher was active enough on the bottom to avoid any serious damage, but the round clearly belonged to Gonzalez! Which took things to the judges — two of whom scored the fight for Gallagher.

“Winners win, motherf*ckers. Winners f*cking win,” Gallagher said after the fight, as the crowd rained down a chorus of boos. “That was a sloppy performance. I want a quick turnaround,” he added. “My mindset’s different. That was just a warm-up.”

Official Result: James Gallagher def. James Gonzalez by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

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The match-up found Storley looking to bounce back from a loss to Yaroslav Amosov in their title unification bout earlier this year — Storley’s second loss to a pro, with the first also coming to Amosov. Brennan Ward, meanwhile, was playing out a redemption arc, having overcome drug addiction and made a successful return to fighting after years out of action. He’d won three straight coming into Bellator 298.

In the co-main event, a fight with all the markings of a heavyweight title eliminator unfolded between Valentin Moldavsky and undefeated standout Steve Mowry. Also on the card, names like Dalton Rosta, facing Canadian middleweight Aaron Jeffery, the return of James Gallagher, and undefeated bantamweight Jaylon Bates taking a step up in competition against TUF Latin America 2 winner Enrique Barzola.

Bellator 298 takes place Friday, August 11, 2023 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD. The main card airs on Showtime at 10PM ET in the U.S. following online prelims (found below, where applicable) starting at 6:25PM. In Canada, the card streams via PPV and can be found here.

Bellator 298: Storley vs. Ward Results

Main card

Welterweight: Logan Storley def. Brennan Ward by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 2, 4:05
Heavyweight: Valentin Moldavsky def. Steve Mowry by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Middleweight: Aaron Jeffery def. Dalton Rosta by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Featherweight: James Gallagher def. James Gonzalez by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Catchweight (160lb): Sidney Outlaw def. Islam Mamedov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary card

Women’s Flyweight: Justine Kish def. Diana Avsaragova by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight: Enrique Barzola vs. Jaylon Bates by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Lucas Brennan def. Weber Almeida by knockout (knee), Round 3, 3:52
Bantamweight: Kasum Kasumov def. Josh Hill by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Lightweight: Vladimir Tokov def. Jairo Pacheco by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight: Leandro Higo def. Nikita Mikhailov by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 2:50
Lightweight: Alfie Davis def. Aalon Cruz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Women’s Featherweight: Katerina Shakalova def. Dayana Silva by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight: Sullivan Cauley def. Hamza Salim by technical submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 4:24
Bantamweight: Marcirley Alves da Silva def. Jerrell Hodge by knockout (strikes), Round 1, 3:53
Featherweight: Jordan Oliver def. Andrew Triolo by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 1:05

Post-liminary Card

Bantamweight: Michael Blockhus def. Eli Mefford by TKO, Round 1, 2:43

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