Logan Storley is on the path toward another shot at the Bellator welterweight title, and his performance at Bellator 298 was an impressive first step.
In the main event at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., Storley (15-2 MMA, 10-2 BMMA) entered the Bellator cage in his home state looking to rebound from a title unification loss to Yaroslav Amosov in February. Standing in his way was a dangerous striker in Brennan Ward (17-7 MMA, 12-7 BMMA), but Storley was able to get the fight to his world on the ground to record a TKO stoppage at 4:05 in Round 2.
The left jab was an issue early for Storley, and Ward used it often. The takedown defense initially held well for Ward too, but Storley’s patience paid off with a nice shot and scramble to take top position midway through Round 1. Storley would keep Ward pinned to the canvas for the remainder of the frame.
Ward returned to the jab to begin the second round as he stalked Storley around the circular cage. It was just a matter of time before Storley found his opening and completed another takedown. Frustrated with being dominated on the ground, Ward began talking trash to Storley, trying to entice him to take the fight to the feet for a brawl.
Storley wasn’t having it, but the smack talk apparently lit a fire.
From that moment, Storley improved his positioning and began raining down hard punches from the top. Ward tried his best to scramble free, but Storley was too strong and maintained top control. More heavy right hand punches followed, and the referee Jason Herzog stepped in for the TKO stoppage.
𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆 👊💥
The "Storm" continues in Sioux Falls as @StorleyStorm beats Brennan Ward to make it 6️⃣ wins in front of his home crowd!#Bellator298 pic.twitter.com/LEfO0dsdYM
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) August 12, 2023
After the fight, Storley credited his team for helping form a renewed focus on himself as a fighter. He didn’t get away from what he does best, and it paid off in a big way. Being honest about his position in the division, it’s not a title shot or bust situation for him now. Storley said he will do whatever is necessary to earn another crack at the champ.
All-in-all, it was a big moment for Storley, who was born less than a three-hour drive from the venue in Roslyn, S.D.
On the other side, Ward sees his three-fight stoppage winning streak come to an end. Returning from a lengthy layoff last February, Ward picked up impressive wins over Brandon Bell, Kassius Kayne, and Sabah Homasi – all of which were stoppage wins in Round 2.
Complete results of Bellator 298 include:
- Logan Storley def. Brennan Ward via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:05
- Valentin Moldavsky def. Steve Mowry via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Aaron Jeffery def. Dalton Rosta via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- James Gallagher def. James Gonzalez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Sidney Outlaw def. Islam Mamedov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Justine Kish def. Diana Avsaragova via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Enrique Barzola def. Jaylon Bates via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Lucas Brennan def. Weber Almeida via knockout (knee) – Round 3, 3:32
- Kasum Kasumov def. Josh Hill via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
- Vladimir Tokov def. Jairo Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Leandro Higo def. Nikita Mikhailov via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:50
- Alfie Davis def. Aalon Cruz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Katerina Shakalova def. Dayana Silva via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
- Sullivan Cauley def. Hamza Salim via technical submission (arm triangle) – Round 1, 4:24
- Marcirley Alves da Silva def. Jerrell Hodge via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:53
- Jordan Oliver def. Andrew Triolo via submission (arm triangle) – Round 1, 1:05
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 298.
