University of Minnesota Athletics
Wrestling Skills Propel Logan Storley's MMA Success
7/22/2019 10:55:00 AM | Wrestling
After an incredible wrestling career at Minnesota, Logan Storley wasn't done. After rocking the Maroon and Gold at 174-pounds for four seasons Storley eyed mixed martial arts as his path forward.
So far so good for Storley in his young career.
"Every fight slows down a little bit where you can actually listen and take the advice in from your corner," Storley said. "It's been an incredible journey getting better and better every day."
Now competing in Bellator, Storley holds an undefeated 10-0 record inching towards a welterweight title fight. Seven of those ten victories have come via knockout or TKO.
Storley last fought at Bellator 215 against Ion Pascu with another fight in the works later this year.
"Here in the next four fights I want to be fighting for a title," Storley said. "We're doing things the right way now, we're not rushing things. Getting the right wins from the right fights and adding to that record."
Storley is one of only ten Gophers grapplers to be a four-time All-American and he's 17th all-time with 119 victories. Those skills have translated into the Octagon.
A South Dakota native, Storley was a force for the Maroon and Gold from the time he hit the mat as a true freshman. One of his most memorable moments came when the Gophers upset No.1 Penn State to clinch the Big Ten title due in large part to his victory over No.3 Matt Brown when Storley was the sixth-ranked wrestler at the weight.
Now one of the Gophers most exciting memorable wrestlers from the past few decades is an MMA star who enjoys coming back to his roots and training in the Maroon and Gold wrestling room.
"Having Logan back in our wrestling room training with our student-athletes is always an honor ofr us as a program to help our team continually improve," head assistant coach Luke Becker said. "When it comes to his MMA career, it's amazing to watch him compete and dominate his Bellator competition."
Residing in South Florida, Storley trains at "Hard Knocks 365" with his coach, Henri Hooft, and several other MMA stars such as Kamaru Usman, Luke Rockhold, and Robbie Lawler. Even against elite MMA competition Storley's wrestling background still gives him a distinct advantage taking down his opponents in the cage.
After fans started booing Storley in his last fight for showing off his grappling, he responded in the post-fight press conference by explaining that the fans didn't understand the intricacies of high level wrestling.
"Wrestling makes a big difference, it's one of the main martial arts," Storley said. "For me it's been huge to dictate where the fight takes place and that work ethic. It's even more about work ethic and what you went through in the college season."
Still, he's improved in every other aspect of his MMA skillset including his striking.
"My boxing has gotten a lot better from when I first started and just learning to be more comfortable," Storley said. "Even though people haven't seen it much it's just the ability to control the fight and control the distance even if I'm not wrestling."
When he's not training in Florida, back home in South Dakota, or fighting wherever he's called upon, Storley often visits Dinkytown to train with the Gophers and offer some tips. Returning to the Gophers wrestling room might as well be returning to home for Storley.
"I really enjoy coming back here and doing things with the team, here in Minneapolis the Gophers take care of their own," Storley said. "I've been out for around four years now but it doesn't feel like I've been gone long at all. My ability to train here and help them get better while they help me get better, it's been big for me."
So far so good for Storley in his young career.
"Every fight slows down a little bit where you can actually listen and take the advice in from your corner," Storley said. "It's been an incredible journey getting better and better every day."
Now competing in Bellator, Storley holds an undefeated 10-0 record inching towards a welterweight title fight. Seven of those ten victories have come via knockout or TKO.
Storley last fought at Bellator 215 against Ion Pascu with another fight in the works later this year.
"Here in the next four fights I want to be fighting for a title," Storley said. "We're doing things the right way now, we're not rushing things. Getting the right wins from the right fights and adding to that record."
Storley is one of only ten Gophers grapplers to be a four-time All-American and he's 17th all-time with 119 victories. Those skills have translated into the Octagon.
A South Dakota native, Storley was a force for the Maroon and Gold from the time he hit the mat as a true freshman. One of his most memorable moments came when the Gophers upset No.1 Penn State to clinch the Big Ten title due in large part to his victory over No.3 Matt Brown when Storley was the sixth-ranked wrestler at the weight. Now one of the Gophers most exciting memorable wrestlers from the past few decades is an MMA star who enjoys coming back to his roots and training in the Maroon and Gold wrestling room.
"Having Logan back in our wrestling room training with our student-athletes is always an honor ofr us as a program to help our team continually improve," head assistant coach Luke Becker said. "When it comes to his MMA career, it's amazing to watch him compete and dominate his Bellator competition."
Residing in South Florida, Storley trains at "Hard Knocks 365" with his coach, Henri Hooft, and several other MMA stars such as Kamaru Usman, Luke Rockhold, and Robbie Lawler. Even against elite MMA competition Storley's wrestling background still gives him a distinct advantage taking down his opponents in the cage.
After fans started booing Storley in his last fight for showing off his grappling, he responded in the post-fight press conference by explaining that the fans didn't understand the intricacies of high level wrestling.
"Wrestling makes a big difference, it's one of the main martial arts," Storley said. "For me it's been huge to dictate where the fight takes place and that work ethic. It's even more about work ethic and what you went through in the college season."
Still, he's improved in every other aspect of his MMA skillset including his striking.
"My boxing has gotten a lot better from when I first started and just learning to be more comfortable," Storley said. "Even though people haven't seen it much it's just the ability to control the fight and control the distance even if I'm not wrestling."
When he's not training in Florida, back home in South Dakota, or fighting wherever he's called upon, Storley often visits Dinkytown to train with the Gophers and offer some tips. Returning to the Gophers wrestling room might as well be returning to home for Storley.
"I really enjoy coming back here and doing things with the team, here in Minneapolis the Gophers take care of their own," Storley said. "I've been out for around four years now but it doesn't feel like I've been gone long at all. My ability to train here and help them get better while they help me get better, it's been big for me."
Jore Volk Reflects on Minnesota Return
Tuesday, April 07
2026 Senior Salute
Thursday, April 02
Cinematic Recap: Max McEnelly Wins Title
Monday, March 23
Press Conference: Max McEnelly
Monday, March 23