Tag: Logan Storley

After Bellator 298, Logan Storley doesn’t see many other options but a trilogy with Yaroslav Amosov

It had been nearly five years since Logan Storley put away someone with his hands. He did it again in front of a friendly crowd.

It had been nearly five years since [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] put away someone with his hands, so to do it again in front of a friendly crowd no doubt was exhilarating.

Storley (15-2 MMA, 10-2 BMMA) this past Friday took out gritty slugger Brennan Ward (17-7 MMA, 12-7 BMMA) with a second-round TKO in the Bellator 298 main event. The fight took place in Sioux Falls, S.D., a little more than two hours from the town where Storley grew up and won six state wrestling titles.

Storley said fighting in front of his home fans was clutch, of course – he’s now 6-0 in the Sanford Pentagon, including 3-0 when Bellator sets up camp there. But most important, Storley is looking at the welterweight division and doesn’t see many options other than the champion, Yaroslav Amosov – who happens to be responsible for the only two losses, both decisions, of Storley’s career.

He lost a split call to him in November 2020, but three fights later, with Amosov out, Storley won the interim welterweight title with a win over Michael Page. Earlier this year, though, he lost a title unification fight to him and had to start back up the ladder.

“This is my second fight in the last five months,” Storley said after his win over Ward. “I was staying active, and there’s a big thing in this sport of getting back in that locker room, going through the pressure and doing that walk. I felt good in there tonight. I felt at home.

“We’ll see what happens (next). ‘MVP’ is a free agent. Jason Jackson is a teammate of mine. Me and Amosov – 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’s TKO came nearly five years after he put away A.J. Matthews in August 2018 in the same building. (A 2019 TKO win over E.J. Brooks was due to an arm injury and stopped between rounds.)

Check out Storley’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 298.

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Logan Storley def. Brennan Ward at Bellator 298: Best photos

Check out these photos from the Bellator 298 main event between Logan Storley and Brennan Ward.

Check out these photos from the Bellator 298 main event, a welterweight bout that saw former interim champion [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] defeat [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

Bellator 298 results: Logan Storley mauls Brennan Ward for hometown second-round TKO

Logan Storley returned to the win column with a dominating performance against Brennan Ward in the main event of Bellator 298.

[autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] 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.

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.

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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.

Brennan Ward: Logan Storley’s ‘time on top is done’ if he loses to me at Bellator 298

Brennan Ward thinks all the pressure is on Logan Storley going into Friday’s Bellator 298 main event.

[autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] thinks there’s no pressure on his shoulders going into Friday’s Bellator 298 headliner, while [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] has everything to lose.

Ward (17-6 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) will compete in his fourth fight since returning from a nearly five-year MMA hiatus this weekend when he meets former interim welterweight champ Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) in a five-round fight at Sandford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The event streams on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The 35-year-old is 3-0 since making his comeback to competition, scoring second-round knockouts of Sabah Homasi, Kassius Kayne and Brandon Bell. That earned him this main event slot, and he’s ready to let loose in the cage in a situation that is purely upside for him.

“He’s can’t lose to me,” Ward told MMA Junkie. “I’m ranked No. 8. If he loses to me, his time on top is done. He’s not going to beat the No. 4 guy. He won’t beat the No. 10 guy in our weight. I think Sabah would knock him out. He has to beat me to stay on top. For me, I don’t have to win. I don’t have to win sh*t. I’m 35 years old. I’m going out there to bomb. I don’t care. I’m f*cking you up, though. What’s up?”

Ward’s time away from the sport included a tumultuous period that included addiction and other hardships. He got past it, though, and has returned in arguably better form than ever.

His focus as this stage is unflappable, and although Storley is arguably the hardest fight of his career on paper, he knows he won’t be going in there unprepared.

“As long as it’s entertaining, at this point in my career, as long as it’s a good show, obviously you’ve got to win, but a fight like that, even if you take an L, a fight like that people remember,” Ward said. “This fight ain’t leaving the second. You could schedule it for a 20-round fight, it doesn’t matter. It’s not leaving Round 2. That’s how it is. So I train accordingly. … You ain’t going to see me gas out. You ain’t going to see me slow down. I train pedal to the metal every single day. I push myself beyond exhaustion so I make sure I can go f*cking full throttle the whole time.”

After making his Bellator debut in November 2012, Ward is thriving with the promotion more than 10 years later. His nine knockouts in Bellator competition trail only Patricky Freire and Michael Page all-time in company history, and he’ll be looking to add another one to the reel against Storley.

“I hope he wants to go out there and trade,” Ward said. “I don’t want to f*cking have to wrestle his b*tch-ass for 25 minutes. F*ck that sh*t. Come up. Try to catch it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 298.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (May 16-21)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from May 16-21.

Bellator heads to Sioux Falls with Logan Storley vs. Brennan Ward main event

Bellator welterweight contenders Logan Storley and Brennan Ward will face off in a five-round main event in South Dakota this summer.

Bellator has its annual trip back to Sioux Falls, S.D. on the books and this year the event will be headlined by a welterweight contender fight.

Former Bellator title challenger [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] will face [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] in a five-round fight Aug. 11 at Sanford Pentagon.

Multiple people with knowledge of the booking recently informed MMA Junkie of it but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) is a South Dakota native who frequents the promotion’s cards in his home state. The Aug. 11 bout vs. Ward will be the first time he’s headlined one of them, however, as he looks to bounce back from a failed title bid against Yaroslav Amosov at Bellator 291 in February. Amosov defeated Storley by unanimous decision.

Ward (17-6 MMA, 12-6 BMMA) continues to defy the odds. He is undefeated since a return from a near five-year layoff due to severe drug addiction, which he detailed to MMA Junkie when he announced his return in February 2022. He most recently competed at Bellator 290 in February when he finished Sabah Homasi with strikes in Round 2.

No other fights have been announced for the Aug. 11 event at this time.

Bellator 291 post-event facts: Yaroslav Amosov’s incredible streak hits 27 fights

The longest active winning streak in MMA still belongs to Yaroslav Amosov after a dominant win to defend gold at Bellator 291.

Bellator returned to 3Arena in Dublin on Saturday with Bellator 291, and with 18 fights on the docket, it played out as one of the longest events in company history.

The card closed on a high note, however, when Ukraine welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) retuned to competition with a dominant unanimous decision win over Logan Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) to move to 2-0 in their head-to-head series.

Amosov is proving to be one of the best in the world at 170 pounds, and his flawless record is there to back up that notion. For more on the numbers behind his fight, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 291.

Yaroslav Amosov def. Logan Storley at Bellator 291: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Yaroslav Amosov’s welterweight title unification win over Logan Storley at Bellator 291 at 3Arena in Dublin.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag]’s welterweight title unification win over [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] at Bellator 291 at 3Arena in Dublin. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Bellator 291 results: Ukrainian champ Yaroslav Amosov returns from war to dominate Logan Storley

They say war changes a man and in the case of Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov, it might’ve made him a better fighter.

They say war changes a man. In the case of Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag], it might’ve made him a better fighter.

Amosov looked his best Saturday night at Bellator 291, where he dominated [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] for five rounds and cruised to a unanimous decision win to defend his 170-pound title for the first time. Amosov’s successful title defense came after he spent nearly 10 months defending Ukraine in the war against Russia, which invaded his country almost exactly one year ago.

After his impressive display, Amosov’s attention turned back to the ongoing struggle in his country.

“It was one year yesterday when crazy Putin started war in my country,” Amosov said on the mic inside Dublin’s 3Arena. “He wants to kill kids who are Ukrainian. I want to say thank you to Ukrainian military for the defense of my county. Thank you to everyone who helps my country.”

It had been 20 months since Amosov last competed in an MMA fight, when he won the title from then-champion Douglas Lima in June 2021. The question heading into the Storley fight – a rematch of a November 2020 split decision win for Amosov – was how he’d look physically after the long layoff and mentally considering all that he’s been through as a soldier of war.

Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) quelled any concerns right from the start, showing sharp hands and good movement. Early on he found success with both volume and damage as he consistently pelted Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) with three, four, and sometimes five-punch combinations, causing a cut to Storley’s right eye in the first round.

That continued to be the theme as the fight progressed, as well as Amosov stuffing all of Storley’s takedowns.

All in all, it was a triumphant return for an undefeated champion who put his career on hold for a greater purpose.

“Ukrainian people, I love you,” Amosov said. “I love all my people.”

Below are complete Bellator 291 results:

  • Yaroslav Amosov def. Logan Storley via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) – to defend welterweight title
  • Jeremy Kennedy def. Pedro Carvalho via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Bryce Logan def. Peter Queally via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:32
  • Sinead Kavanagh def. Janay Harding via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Ciaran Clarke def. Leonardo Sinis via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Karl Moore def. Maciej Rozanski via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Mike Shipman def. Charlie Ward via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Oleg Popov def. Gokhan Saricam via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Norbert Novenyi Jr. def. Andy Manzolo via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 3:13
  • Brian Moore def. Luca Iovine via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Richie Smullen def. Piotr Niedzielski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Darragh Kelly def. Dorval Jordan via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:58
  • Asael Adjoudj def. Liam McCracken via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Khasan Magomedsharipov def. Rafael Hudson via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:40
  • Jena Bishop def. Elina Kallionidou via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Kenny Mokhonoana def. Craig McIntosh via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:13
  • Dmytrii Hrytsenko def. Daniele Scatizzi via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Steven Hill def. Joel Kouadja via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:03

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 291.

Twitter reacts to Yaroslav Amosov’s title unification defense vs. Logan Storley at Bellator 291

The MMA community heaped praise on 27-0 champion Yaroslav Amosov after he dominated Logan Storley in his return from war at Bellator 291.

[autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] returned from fighting a war in his native Ukraine on Saturday to successfully defend his welterweight title against [autotag]Logan Storley[/autotag] in the Bellator 291 headliner.

Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) got back in the cage for the first time since June 2011 and defeated interim champ Storley (14-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) by lopsided unanimous decision in the main event rematch at 3Arena in Dublin.

After earning a split decision in their first meeting at Bellator 252 in November 2020, Amosov moved to 2-0 against Storley, and remains the only person to beat him in MMA competition.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Amosov’s victory over Storley at Bellator 291

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