It just took a little longer than expected to get to this point.

“The way it had been indicated to me after the fight is that Bellator wanted to book it right away too,” Mowry (10-0-1, 1NC) told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “It was just that whenever Fedor had announced that he was going to take one more ride at Ryan Bader, they wanted to make that happen, so it kind of got shuffled out of the mix as it were.”

Mowry and Moldavsky first met a year ago, almost to the day of their rematch. The fight had barely gotten started when an eye poke left Mowry unable to continue; the end result was an unfortunate No Contest. With Fedor Emelianenko opting to face Ryan Bader for his retirement fight, however, teammate Moldavsky was bumped up to a title eliminator with Linton Vassell.

Now, a year after their first encounter, Mowry and Moldavsky get a chance for a do-over.

“It was really important to me,” admitted Mowry. “Valentin Moldavsky is somebody I really respect as a competitor. I really respect him as a fighter. That said, it would really mean a lot to me to have a victory over someone like him.”

In the interim, while Moldavsky lost his fight with Vassell, Mowry fought to a draw with former PFL heavyweight champion Ali Isaev. In terms of what he took away from that fight, it was “definitely a big learning experience in terms of, just some things in-competition that I really should have addressed,” said Mowry. “Some things about my competitive attitude, my competitive approach that I needed to fix, I needed to shore up.”

Mowry added, however that “on a positive side, it really kind of reminded me that I am one of the best in the world, I belong in there with the best. Ali Isaev, while somewhat kind of lacking in MMA experience, is an experienced competitor as a wrestler, and was able to accomplish a lot in a very short amount of time in a different promotion, becoming a world champion.”

The fight being a draw, “it’s not really fair to say I did well, or I did poorly,” continued Mowry, though he sees examples of both. “But that said, I really feel like I belong in there with the best, I belong in there with the best fighters in the planet. I’m one of the best fighters on the planet, and I’m here to stay.”

Given Vassell has the next title shot, Mowry vs. Moldavsky 2 has all the markings of a title eliminator. But Mowry himself isn’t putting too much credence in that.

“I don’t know. I really don’t. Because, just to give you some perspective, I think Linton had been guaranteed the title shot before the Moldavsky fight, and then whenever Fedor came back, they kind of shuffled their cards again.” With that in mind, “I’m not looking at it as anything other than an opportunity to go in there and put my full skill set on display.”

Of course, with Bellator MMA reportedly up for sale, there’s the possibility that a title shot might never come, if the promotion is bought out and absorbed. “I don’t know. It’s one of those things, like, there’s just so much conjecture in the picture that if I were to sit here and think about any one thing, I’d have to think of a million things. So it’s like, it’s definitely occurred to me that there is going to be a little bit of a shake-up here no matter what, but that said it really doesn’t change my perspective on the immediate future, which is to handle business here in a week.”

This week, it’s Valentin Moldavsky. Last week, it was whistle-blowers testifying before congress about UFOs and alien bodies. Straight out of The X-Files, a show Mowry watched as a kid, and revisted a few years back. Since we spoke to him about that a couple of years ago, we wanted to get his thoughts on the recent congressional hearings.

“If the government is going to finally cop to aliens, what is it that they really want us to not be paying attention to? Because the the general public has had a sneaking suspicion that aliens have been around for the better part of, we could probably comfortably say the better part of 60 years,” noted Mowry. “Everybody listening now probably imagines a nice tinfoil hat on my head. But not to get on my political soapbox, big but, but if they’re finally going to cop to something as big as aliens, I wonder what it is that they don’t want us to pay attention to?”

One thing you should pay attention to— Mowry’s fight with Moldavsky, that serves as the Bellator 298 co-main event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota this Friday night.

The post Bellator 298’s Steve Mowry: I’m One of the Best Fighters on the Planet, and I’m Here to Stay” appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Friday, promotion officials announced the full preliminary card for the California-based event, which takes place February 4, 2023 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA.

In one new addition, heavyweight Steve Mowry (10-0, 1 NC) has been paired up with 2008 men’s freestyle Olympian Ali Isaev (9-0) in the latter’s promotional debut. Isaev won the PFL’s 2019 heavyweight tournament, defeating UFC alum Jared Rosholt in the final — but has not competed since.

After fighting to a No Contest last July, #8-ranked middleweight Lorenz Larkin (24-7, 2 NC) will rematch Russia’s Mukhamed Berkhamov (15-1, 1 NC) in a welterweight match-up. The remaining newly announced prelim fights see former bantamweight champ Darrion Caldwell (14-6, 1 NC) take on Nikita Mikhailov (9-2), while featherweights Isaiah “The Central Valley Gangster” Hokit (2-1) and Peter Ishiguro (2-1) collide.

Bellator 290 is headlined by what is expected to be the retirement fight of legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, who will rematch Ryan Bader in a bid to claim Bellator’s heavyweight title.

In the co-main event, Johnny Eblen puts his title on the line against Anatoly Tokov. A previously announced bout that would have seen Vadlim Nemkov put his light heavyweight title up against Yoel Romero is off the card, after Nemkov was forced to withdraw from the bout.

The following match-ups have been officially announced for the Bellator 290:

• Ryan Bader (c) vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for the Bellator MMA heavyweight championship
• Johnny Eblen (c) vs. Anatoly Tokov – for the Bellator MMA middleweight championship
• Sabah Homasi vs. Brennan Ward
• Neiman Gracie vs. Michael Lombardo
• Lorenz Larkin vs. Mukhamed Berkhamov
• Henry Corrales vs. Akhmed Magomedov
• Steve Mowry vs. Ali Isaev
• Chris Gonzalez vs. Max Rohskopf
• Grant Neal vs. Karl Albrektsson
• Alejandra Lara vs. Diana Avsaragova
• Darrion Caldwell vs. Nikita Mikhailov
• Jaylon Bates vs. Jornel Lugo
• Isaiah Hokit vs. Peter Ishiguro
• Ethan Hughes vs. Yusuf Karakaya

The post Bellator 290 Preliminary Card Fills Out with Four Fights Added appeared first on Cageside Press.

Moldavsky (11-2) is part of the famous Fedor Team out of Russia led by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko. Following the loss to Bader at Bellator 273 Fedor had some words for Moldavsky.

“He say I fight very bad,” Moldavsky told Cageside Press among other media on Wednesday. He laughed as he continued on.

“He said I must win more, not close, more powerful. I didn’t listen. That’s why he say I fight bad.”

Moldavsky takes on Mowry who sports an undefeated 10-0 record and now faces the #1 heavyweight in the division.

“He not lose, but he not fight with good fighter. I don’t see good fighter who he (beat). I think he don’t have opponent like me,” Moldavsky said.

Moldavsky did say that Mowry faced one good opponent in Gokhan Saricam, but he mentioned that Saricam is not a wrestler. Mowry defeated him via submission.

In the end his mind is focused on his opponent this Friday night.

“I think I must win now this fight with Mowry and then I think we must fight Bader again.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Valentin Moldavsky above. Bellator 284 goes down in Sioux Falls, SD on Friday August 12th.

The post Bellator 284: Valentin Moldavsky Says He Must Beat Mowry, Then Fight Bader Again appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mowry (10-0) faces an opponent from the famed Fedor Team.

“They’re all very nice, very stoic. They come hard. They come fast they’re well-rounded. It’s going to be a great challenge and I’m looking forward to meeting it,” Mowry told Cageside Press among other media on Wednesday.

One of Mowry’s teammates, Bellator heavyweight Linton Vassell, faced Moldavsky in March 2019. He became an important asset during Mowry’s training camp.

“In the sense that he was able to give me a good push, he was able to show me different things, help me out in different positions, he was huge. Linton’s a good friend and a good teammate. Whether he has direct influence on the training for the actual matchup or it’s just a thing where we’re in the gym pushing each other making each other better…Linton’s phenomenal. Very grateful for him,” Morwy said.

With Moldavsky currently ranked #1 in the Bellator heavyweight rankings he immediately becomes the biggest fight of Mowry’s career.

“He is far and away the toughest opponent I’ve ever had. He’s a guy that’s been there he’s done that. He’s fought the best guys. He’s very skilled. He’s has a skillset that a lot of people just haven’t been able to get around. Really looking forward to going in there and figuring him out,” said Mowry.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Steve Mowry above. Bellator 284 goes down in Sioux Falls, SD on Friday August 12th.

The post Bellator 284’s Steve Mowry: Moldavsky is “Toughest Opponent I’ve Ever Had” appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Wednesday, promotion officials announced that Mowry (10-0) had signed an exclusive multi-fight, multi-year deal with the promotion. The 29-year old is currently ranked #5 in Bellator’s heavyweight division, and boasts an impressive 100% finish rate.

Mowry started his career with regional promotion Titan FC, going 4-0 under their banner before joining Bellator MMA in 2018. His six fight win streak has seen him leave the first round on just one occasion, when it took until the second frame to submit Gokhan Saricam at Bellator 231 in 2019.

Most recently, Mowry stopped PFL veteran Rakim Cleveland at Bellator 271 back in November. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mowry does not currently have a fight booked. However, only Cheick Kongo, Fedor Emelianenko, Linton Vassell, and former interim champ Valentin Moldavsky sit ahead of him in the division, with Ryan Bader still holding heavyweight gold.

Bader recently defeated Kongo at Bellator Paris to retain his title. Emelianenko is widely expected to retire after his next fight, while Vassell may be the front runner as the next title challenger. With a couple more wins, however, Mowry could be knocking on the door of his own shot at gold.

The post Undefeated Heavyweight Steve Mowry Inks New Multi-Fight Deal with Bellator MMA appeared first on Cageside Press.

Originally scheduled for the April 15, 2022 event in San Jose, CA was a rematch between Tim Johnson (15-8) and Tyrell Fortune (11-2, 1NC). However, promotion officials confirmed Monday that the pairing had been split, following an initial report by MMA Junkie.

Instead, Johnson will face Linston Vassell (22-8, 1NC), while Fortune will take on the undefeated Steve Mowry (10-0).

Johnson had won the first meeting against Fortune, knocking the prospect out when they first met in February of 2020. That was the first bout of a three-fight win streak for the two-time Division II All-American wrestler. He’d go on pick up wins over Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo, before dropping an interim title fight to Valentin Moldavsky.

Most recently, Johnson was on the wrong end of a highlight reel knockout at the hands of Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko.

Vassell, meanwhile, has won three straight fights, starting in 2019 with a win over Sergei Kharitonov. Victories against UFC vet Ronny Markes and Fortune followed. “The Swarm” is a former two-time light heavyweight title challenger in the promotion.

Mowry and Fortune represent two pillars of the heavyweight division’s future in Bellator. Fortune will be looking to bounce back from his loss to Vassell in the fight, but overall, he had a successful 2021, going 2-1 with wins against Jack May and Matt Mitrione.

Sanford MMA’s Mowry has finished all ten of his professional MMA fights to date.

Bellator 277 is set to take place at the SAP Center in San Jose, California on April 15, 2022. Two title fights headline the show: In an immediate rematch, A.J. McKee defends his featherweight title against Patricio Pitbull, while the light heavyweight grand prix concludes as Vadim Nemkov puts his belt on the line against Corey Anderson.

The post Bellator 277 Changes See Vassell Fighting Johnson, Fortune Lined Up with Mowry appeared first on Cageside Press.

In his sixth Bellator fight, “Tall” Steve defeated Rakim Cleveland via first-round submission. The submission win kept his 100% rate intact.

Coming into the fight at Bellator 271, Mowry was ranked No. 7 in the Bellator heavyweight division. During his in-cage interview, after his win, he was asked who he wanted next.

Mowry excluded a couple of names from his hit list, but he had one name that he wants soon.

“Linton Vassell is a good friend; my daughter calls him uncle Linton; I’m not going to fight him. Gokhan Saricam is a good friend, he comes and trains with us. But everyone else in the top 10, we’re going to figure it out, and whenever I come get that title, I’m going to turn it around and take out the whole division. With that said, I know he thinks I’m not paying attention, but Marcelo Golm – we can do it, we got business,” Mowry told Big John McCarty.

Golm picked up his first Bellator win in his debut at Bellator 265 in August by finishing Billy Swanson.

Mowry would explain the Golm callout during his post-fight interview with the media.

“We kind of had a misconnection, I guess. It’s not disrespect; it’s not that I don’t like the guy. It just makes sense for him and I right now. I’d love to. This game is all about fighting the other best guys, and if Marcelo has the idea of us fight, I think we should act on that,” Mowry said.

When asked where he feels he has the advantage over Golm, Mowry was very confident.

“No disrespect, but everywhere.”

Watch the rest of Steve Mowry’s Bellator 271 post-fight interview above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

The post Bellator 271: Steve Mowry Wants Marcelo Golm Next appeared first on Cageside Press.

Let’s get to those and other prospects in action this week!

ACA Young Eagles 22 | Russia | Thursday

Flyweight, Akhmed Khamzaev (6-0)

Khamzaev is one of the best 125’ers out of Russia. He has won via knockout and submission proving he’s well-versed in all areas. Khamzaev has good footwork cutting off the cage along with his forward movement. There isn’t a ton of footage but the tape available suggests he’s one to watch for. He fights Shabdan Sarykov (5-0).

ONE Championship | Singapore | Friday

Lightweight, Kai Tang (12-2)

Tang is someone that jumped out to me recently and his style is something I like very much. I believe he comes from a muay thai base and if so you can tell. Tang is a rangy fighter who will fight on the outside the entire time. He has a well-executed jab, nice leg kicks, and is so good at striking going backward. Tang is a sniper from the outside whether that’s with his legs or his fists. Not only a striker he will shoot for takedowns and is solid with his grappling. Tang has a wide toolset and I believe he’s the real deal. He fights Chang Min Yoon (5-1).

Bellator 271 | US | Friday

Heavyweight, Tyrell Fortune (11-1)

Fortune has an accomplished background in wrestling, as an NCAA Division II champion, and a multi-time high school state champion. His stand-up is improving; he has some power, is pretty good in the clinch, and has a stunning straight right he throws. When Fortune does get the takedown, he’s shown he’s knowledgeable in the top position and possesses some very effective ground and pound, which is one of his best assets. He just recently beat the well-known Matt Mitrione. Fortune fights Linton Vassell (21-8).

Featherweight, Aaron Pico (8-3)

Pico has competed in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling, winning a championship in all three. He has competed in multiple wrestling-based matches and has become very successful. Pico also has a background in boxing, winning many belts and also being named Junior Golden Gloves champion in 2009. Pico has had a few setbacks already but is back on a four-fight win streak. He has excellent boxing techniques with power and precision. Also, he has high-level wrestling. Pico has the overall skill set to be champion one day. He fights Justin Gonzales (12-0).

Featherweight, Justin Gonzales (12-0)

Undefeated as a pro, Gonzales also went undefeated as an amateur at 9-0. Gonzales has always been an excellent wrestler and was an All-American, but he’s been adding a lot of striking to his resume. J-Train could use better footwork, but he stays aggressive and has good right and left hooks. He really just uses strikes to set up takedowns. Overall, I think he’s good, but there is still room for improvement. He fights Aaron Pico (8-3).

Heavyweight, Steve Mowry (8-0)

Standing at 6’9″, Mowry has all the tools to be a dangerous guy at heavyweight. Training out of Sanford MMA the 28-year-old has plenty of time to develop into a more complete fighter. 9-0 as a pro, Mowry went 7-0 as an amateur with six wins by submission. He has some things to work on including his striking, which is improving, but overall he does a good job and stays long. Still, he is more effective in the clinch with knees. He has solid wrestling, being at his best once on the mat. And once there he has good jiu-jitsu for a big guy. He fights Rakim Cleveland (22-13-1).

You can catch our exclusive interview with “Tall” Steve here.

Welterweight, Roman Faraldo (5-0)

Faraldo is mainly a striker as he is hardly ever on the mat from the footage available. Faraldo has knockout power, precision, and timing. He can overextend on his punches but has never been caught. For the most part, Faraldo will sit on the outside with long punches and catch his opponents coming in. At any time he can explode and shut the lights out with his hands, kicks, and knees. I’m not sold fully but he’s looked mighty dangerous. He fights Robert Turnquest (11-7).

Featherweight, Cody Law (4-0)

Between 2018-2020 Cody Law was one of the best amateur prospects as he went 5-0 before going pro. Bellator didn’t pass up the opportunity to sign Law right as he decided to turn pro in October of 2020. Law has looked outstanding. Law is light on his feet, and throws frequent combinations as his hands are improving along the way. Law has top-notch wrestling and the work he does on top is impressive. He has smashing active ground and pound, good positional grappling, and has a dangerous ability to attack the neck. He fights Colton Hamm (4-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?Axe%26SledgeSupplements

Welterweight, Mahmoud Fawzy Sebie (2-0)

Sebie came over from wrestling where he had an excellent career. He was a two-time Olympian, a four-time Arab wrestling champion, a five-time Africa wrestling champion, and a former Egyptian National Team member. In all three of his fights including a custom rules bout, Sebie has looked unstoppable. The longest fight he’s had is 1:52. Sebie wastes no time rushing his opponents, getting the easy takedown, and smashing with ground and pound until the ref steps in. He’s been nothing short of dominant since retiring from wrestling and entering MMA. Sebie fights Ethan Hughes (2-0).

LFA 118 | US | Friday

Strawweight, Jaqueline Amorim (4-0)

Amorim is a highly touted jiu-jitsu ace that made the transition to MMA not even a year ago. Some of her accomplishments in BJJ are IBJJF World Champion, IBJJF World No-Gi Champion, CBJJ Brasil Champion, and more. So far Amorim has easily closed the distance, got the takedown, moved to a dominant position, and finished with a sub. Her first three finishes are by submission and all three by different subs. Not just a jiu-jitsu player Amorim scored a 10-second knockout from the right hand in her last fight. She fights Loveth Young (3-1-1).

Strawweight, Loveth Young (3-1-1)

Young is already 32 and doesn’t have an appealing record. With that said, her sole loss came to current UFC fighter Vanessa Demopoulos, and she arguably won that fight. Young won by submission in her first pro win but is a cerebral striker. Among all strawweights, Young has some of the biggest knockout power in her hands. Everything she throws is to knock you out. As she is a head hunter she will switch up her angles and goes to the body well. She fights Jaqueline Amorim (4-0).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi4a8j4AGMg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?LOVETHPATRASPORTSTV

Combate Global | US | Friday

Lightweight, Cristian Perez (6-0)

Perez has been quietly flowing under the radar for the Combate Global promotion. This year alone he’s had three fights and three impressive first-round finishes. The young 26-year-old Mexican always brings it and brings a well-rounded skillset. Yet while he is well-rounded, his five finishes come by the way of submission. Although his wrestling/takedowns have looked good Perez has sat guys down from head kicks and his hands. With his relentless pressure and his aggressiveness once the fight hits the mat he’s a true finisher. Perez gets after it as his frantic pace is an issue for anyone he steps across the cage from. He fights Daniel Soto (6-5).

Fury FC 53 | US | Sunday

Lightweight, JJ Okanovich (8-2)

Okanovich has a lot of good experience, fighting and winning on the Contender Series and going 5-0 under the Bellator MMA banner. He’s a product out of American Kickboxing Academy growing in each fight. Okanovich isn’t the most technical fighter as he gets by with his toughness. He’s a decent wrestler, has a good submission game, is active on the feet, and has a good gas tank. Okanovich recently beat a top prospect in Anthony Romero putting his name at the top of the list. He fights Trey Ogden (14-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?MMABosniaandHerzegovina

Bantamweight, Mo Miller (5-0)

Miller is going to be fighting for the first time since his stint on the Contender Series this past season. A fight that had the majority of the fans left scratching their head given Dana White’s decision to pass on the fighter. Miller has a background as a wrestler being a three-time All-American at Notre Dame. Of course, Miller has good wrestling but he does have some bright spots on the feet. He throws a good one-two and his right hand is dangerous. Miller has the style to go far with his patient but technical approach on the feet and some solid wrestling to dominate a fight with. He’s fighting Johnny Campbell (21-14).

Middleweight, Joseph Holmes (6-1)

Like Mo Miller, Holmes is another snub from the past season of the Contender Series. Holmes unlike Miller was able to finish his fight but still didn’t get a contract. Since losing his pro debut Holmes has won his next six fights. Holmes is a rangy fighter with a good jab and a nice one-two. He also has a pretty good ground game as shown in his Contender Series fight. He took the guy down easy, took the back, and finished with the rear-naked choke. Holmes actually has four wins by RNC and three of those came in his last three fights. Also, a guillotine is in there as well so attacking the neck he does so well at. He fights Jhonoven Pati (6-5).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Bumper Batch of Bellator Up-and-Comers appeared first on Cageside Press.

Undefeated heavyweight Steve Mowry cuts an imposing figure inside the Bellator cage.

Believe it or not though, the 6’8″ professional fighter from Sanford MMA was scared of The X-Files as a kid.

Hey, who can blame him. In the 90s and early 00s, the paranormal drama ruled the air waves, and gave viewers around the globe nightmares. Flukeman, anyone? Mowry has revisited the show of late, which he wasn’t allowed to watch as a youngster.

“Whenever I was a kid, I was too scared to watch it. My oldest brother is 10 years older than me. Whenever he watched it, he was allowed to have it on, but if The X-Files came on, we had to leave the living room kind of thing,” Mowry recalled in a recent interview with Cageside Press. “I watched an episode whenever I was in middle school, and I found out why. It was intense.”

Ahead of the Halloween season this year, Mowry revisited the show, just to get in the Halloween spirit. When he’d originally caught bits of the show, of course, he was around 10-12 years old. “Now that I’m older, it is kind of corny. It didn’t age perfectly, but it did age well in terms of storytelling and dynamic, that kind of thing.”

These days, Mowry is the one providing the scares. To opponents, anyway. The 9-0 heavyweight returns to action at Bellator 271, where he’ll take on an experienced veteran in Rakim Cleveland. Aptly named “The Boogeyman” — let’s stay with the spooky theme — Cleveland has more than three times the experience of Mowry, at least in terms of fights.

“He’s very dynamic, very athletic. he’s got powerful strikes,” Mowry observed of his opponent. “He shows the savvy and the experience of somebody that’s been in that many fights. He’s an interesting opponent, but I’m looking forward to exhibiting my superior skill.”

With a record of 22-13-1 (1NC), Cleveland might just be indicative of the type of opponent Mowry gets moving forward. Either more experienced, or perhaps even ranked, given Mowry finds himself in the #7 spot in the weight class.

“I don’t know if there’s a good answer to that,” replied Mowry when asked about that notion. “I’d just say that if they call me with a name and it makes sense, then I’m going to say yes.”

Mowry had expected to face another notable opponent back in August, UFC veteran Marcelo Golm. Unfortunately, he had to pull out of the fight.

“I hurt my foot. I threw a kick in practice and my toe had like snapped in half and fell off to the side,” explained Mowry. “It happened at a very weird time in relation to the fight. It was one of those things where it was far enough out that I wanted to see if it could work, but it was close enough that I knew it was going to be an issue.” The closer to the fight he got, the more Mowry realized it wasn’t going to work. “It was bad. I couldn’t press on my foot for two weeks, I couldn’t wear a shoe. My foot was like a piece of ham. It was bad.”

The Golm fight is one he’d like to get back, however. “Yeah. Definitely.”

Mowry trains with Sandord MMA, born out the ashes of the Blackzillians, a situation that he called “less than ideal.” From there, a core group of fighters and coaches decided to stick it out, under the leadership of Henri Hooft and a handful of other coaches. Of late, the gym has turned into a juggernaut.

“We’re trying to always help each other get better. We’ve had many iterations come and go, but now we finally landed on Sandford MMA.” The work is never done, noted Mowry. “The success we’ve seen is just largely attributed to just a big group of guys that are down to make it work no matter what.”

Throughout the evolution of the gym, Mowry never considered changing camps.

“Nope. I put my feet down here in Florida for the first time actually six years ago, two days before Halloween. Two days before Halloween I put my feet down in Florida and said ‘I’m never leaving until I’m done,'” he recalled. “Don’t get me wrong, it definitely looked touch-and-go sometimes, it looked shady, it looked like things might not work out, it looked like things might be dicey, at any minute something could give, but we’re very blessed to say that we’ve made it this far, and I’m still trudging forward.”

Steve Mowry faces Rakim Cleveland at Bellator 271 this Friday, November 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The post Bellator 271’s Steve Mowry: From Scared of The X-Files, to Scaring Opponents in the Cage appeared first on Cageside Press.

With a quick TKO of Shaun Asher, set up with a knee, it felt like the towering Sanford MMA fighter barely broke a sweat. Still, there’s no part of Mowry that wishes that the 55-second bout had gone longer. “No!’ he said, with emphasis. Speaking to media outlets following the bout, Mowry noted that he’s not exactly getting paid by the minute.

What might help his pay, or at least his shot at the title, is Bellator’s newly established official rankings. Mowry sat at the number 7 spot to start the night Friday; that’s likely to inch up a spot or two in the coming days.

“If I’ve learned anything about this game, it’s that the numbers don’t mean anything. They really don’t,” Mowry said on that subject. “It’s cool to get recognition for the hard work and whatever. I’ve been in this sport for a long time, and to finally have that little bit of recognition is cool.” But at the same, time, said Mowry, he’s fought plenty of tough guys with good records, and impressive numbers. “On the flip side of it, I’m sure my numbers are impressive and my stats are nice, but guys are coming to take me out too. So the longer I dwell on it, I feel the less actionable for fighting it is.”

If the numbers don’t matter, then how does Mowry separate himself from the rest of the division? “Beating people up,” he told Cageside Press.

Mowry will become a new dad in July, and is hoping to get a fight in before then if possible. There’s just two names he won’t fight — teammates Matt Mitrione and Linton Vassell.

Watch the full Bellator 257 post-fight press conference with Steve Mowry above.

The post Bellator 257: Despite Perfect Record and Ranking, Steve Mowry Says Numbers Don’t Mean Anything appeared first on Cageside Press.