Bellator 274’s Logan Storley: “I’m Coming to Get That Belt”

In the end, Bellator’s decision to implement five-round main events, starting with Bellator 274’s Neiman Gracie vs. Logan Storley welterweight headliner, was a wise one.

It didn’t really feel as if the Bellator 274 main event even got going until the fourth round on Saturday. To that point, fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut had been restless. With Storley’s wrestling and Gracie’s jiu-jitsu seemingly cancelling each other out, onlookers were left with an awkward kickboxing contest with little of note landing.

Then, come the fourth round, Gracie vs. Storley went off like a powder keg. Gracie let lose, forcing Storley to shell up, and it looked as if it might be over for the South Dakota native. But the second half of the round belonged to him, and he even managed to drop Gracie before the buzzer. The fifth and final frame entertained as well, with Storley going on to win a unanimous decision.

Evidence of the war was stencilled all over Storley after the fact, something he acknowledged during his post-fight press conference appearance.

“That fourth round kind of cut me up a little bit, he hit an elbow, but I felt great,” Storley said afterwards. “That was the best I ever performed. I thought it was an exciting fight, I don’t know what you guys thought. But I learned a lot about myself, I dug deep, and he did too. It was a back-and-forth, but I landed all the bigger shots besides that one in the fourth round, and I dropped him, I think with that overhand.”

“I think that’s a great opening for the first non-title fight five rounder.”

As for what’s next, Storley now has his sights set on gold. “Yeah, I want the title shot. That’s the number four ranked guy [Gracie],” Storley said. “I fought the champ to a split decision, that was only three rounds, and had him in trouble at the end of the third. During that fight, I got stronger, so I want the title shot. And I think a lot of people want to see it, especially if it’s Amosov. Much respect to him, but I’m coming to get that belt.”

Yaroslav Amosov is currently set to face Michael “Venom” Page in the main event of Bellator London this May. Following that fight, Storley will be one of a number of potential suitors for the welterweight champ— whether it be Amosov, or Page.

If it’s Amosov holding gold when Storley gets there, he feels the fight will look very different than their first meeting. “I still have a lot to work on. That’s why you get into this sport, to become the best version of yourself. I learned a lot, but there’s a lot of steps for me to go. But that Amosov fight is going to go a lot different this time.”

Watch the full Bellator 274 post-fight press conference with Logan Storley above. More coverage from the event can be found below.