Atlantic City — Thad Jean was a virtual unknown prior to the start of the PFL World Tournament.
Yet after defeating Bellator standouts Mukhamed Berkhamov and Jason Jackson (the latter a former world champion) to improve his record to 10-0 and land in the welterweight final against Logan Storley, Jean has suddenly hit the radar.
Dark horse no more, in other words.
“Dark horse to start out, but now I’m in the final, and we’ll see what that horse turns into,” Jean told media outlets including Cageside Press during this week’s media day.
“I’m ready to take it all the way. Take the title come August 1 against Logan Storley. As we know he’s a one-dimensional fighter. He’s nothing like Jason Jackson,” Jean continued, proving once again that he’s not shy of talking a little trash. “Jason Jackson is a well-rounded fighter. And so I don’t want to say that I’ve discounted Logan Storley’s grappling, his wrestling or anything like that, but that’s all I’ve got to worry about, is his wrestling.”
Storley is a decorated wrestler, one who has used that skill well in his MMA career. Asked about the concern that he might not want to bring a fight come Friday in Atlantic City (and instead turn things into a wrestling match), Jean replied by saying “I’m ready to fight you. Whoever goes into the cage, it doesn’t matter who it is.”
“If it is Logan Storley and he actually does want to fight, like I said I’m going to take it away from him. Not in the third, not in the fourth, not in the fifth. No, the first two rounds, he’s gone.”
Thad Jean also replied to the notion of becoming a face of the promotion, like Dakota Ditcheva and former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou.
“I think this is like my breakout party. This is what it is: He said it, he’s saying it, he’s doing it, oh, he meant it. Oh he did it. He did it, and now once I win that belt, once I have that crown, I’m going to be continuously talking my confidence. I don’t want to say talking my crap, I’m talking my confidence. I’m talking my reality of what I tell you, of how I feel and how I see it and how it’s going to be. I’m telling you I’m going to be the PFL welterweight 2025 tournament champion. Come August 1, I will be that, and I will become the face of the PFL as well. One of the faces, I should say, of the PFL.”
Watch the full PFL Atlantic City media day appearance by Thad Jean above.
