Rivalries: Valentin Moldavsky

Recent hiccups have some wondering whether or not Valentin Moldavsky still holds up as a talent around which Bellator MMA can build.

The 31-year-old Russian will look to correct one of the blemishes on his resume when he rematches undefeated Kill Cliff Fight Club representative Steve Mowry in the Bellator 298 heavyweight co-headliner on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Their first encounter resulted in a no contest—it lasted just 54 seconds—due to an accidental eye poke a year ago. Moldavsky has compiled a 6-2 record across his eight other assignments as a member of the Bellator roster. However, nearly 800 days have passed since his last recorded victory.

As Moldavsky closes in on his forthcoming showdown with Mowry, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Amir Aliakbari

The physically imposing Iranian wrestler handed Moldavsky his first professional defeat with a unanimous decision in the Rizin Fighting Federation openweight grand prix semifinals as part of Rizin 4 on Dec. 31, 2016 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Aliakbari made the most of his 31-pound weight advantage. He called upon clubbing combinations, takedowns paired with ground-and-pound and a grinding clinch. Moldavsky tried to work angles and keep his feet moving during a competitive second round. However, Aliakbari fought through visible fatigue, executed three takedowns, piled up points with knee strikes to the body whenever the two men were engaged in the clinch and did enough to curry favor with the ringside judiciary. He went on to lose to Mirko Filipovic in the tournament final.

Roy Nelson

Moldavsky leaned on clean combination punching and a stifling clinch, as he captured a unanimous decision from the former International Fight League champion in a three-round Bellator 244 heavyweight showcase on Aug. 21, 2020 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. All three cageside judges scored it 30-27. Nelson was painfully inept. Moldavsky operated behind a potent jab at range but did the majority of his heavy lifting in close quarters. The two-time World Sambo Championships gold medalist pinned Nelson to the fence repeatedly and occupied him with knees to the body and short punches to the head, all while depleting his already-suspect gas tank.

Tim Johnson

The lumbering Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran was no match for Maldovsky in the Bellator 261 headliner, where the Fedor Emelianenko protégé laid claim to the interim heavyweight crown with five-round unanimous decision on June 25, 2021 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Scores were 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46. Moldavsky used superior speed, athleticism and technique to outmaneuver and outpoint the American across five rounds. Johnson was out of his depth at range, where he absorbed punishment from a far more skilled striker. Maldovsky also enjoyed significant success with knees to the body and even mixed in a takedown against the two-time NCAA All-American wrestler in the third round. When taken in totality, it all added up to a decisive verdict.

Ryan Bader

Moldavsky failed in his bid to unify the Bellator MMA heavyweight championship when he dropped a unanimous decision to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner in the Bellator 273 main event on Jan. 29, 2022 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. All three cageside judges struck 48-47 scorecards for Bader. Moldavsky nearly checked out after being drilled by a pair of thudding rights from his opponent in the first round but managed to recover and turn the action into his kind of slog. Clinches, takedowns and top control paved his way in the second and third rounds, as most observers began to feel as though they were witnessing a changing of the guard. Bader had other plans. He rallied across the final 10 minutes—the Reno, Nevada, native completed multiple takedowns in the fourth round and denied Moldavsky’s advances with a series of short elbows in the fifth—as he altered the narrative through sheer grit and determination. It remains perhaps Bader’s most impressive performance under Bellator employ.

Linton Vassell

The Kill Cliff Fight Club export avenged a prior defeat to Moldavsky and knocked out the Russian with punches and a follow-up elbow strike in the first round of their Bellator 292 heavyweight feature on March 10, 2023 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Vassell closed the show 3:03 into Round 1, as he evened their head-to-head series at 1-1. Moldavsky—who had taken a unanimous decision from the Englishman in their first meeting some four years earlier—secured of pair of takedowns but failed to corral his counterpart. Once Vassell returned to his feet, he caught and dropped his oncoming adversary with a counter right hook, moved into top position and unsheathed his ground-and-pound. One final elbow separated the badly dazed Moldavsky from his senses.