Much like a lot of the American fighters you see on the regional scene, Logan Paxton’s path to MMA came through the world of wrestling. After starting his career at Sacramento City College – and becoming an All-American in the process – he transferred to division I North Dakota State, where he finished his final two years. Although the time on the mat was part of what sparked his love for competition, it was a chance encounter that helped push him headfirst into MMA.
“It kind of was like a slow build until I started going to college and I wrestled in college. I had a buddy who was training with the Diaz brothers out in Stockton because I’m from California,” Paxton explained. “It was a good hour drive South and he was like, ‘hey, why don’t you come out sometime? Like it’s just some it’s just fun workout in the offseason.'”
Paxton was familiar with the world of MMA and what it meant to be training with the Diaz brothers. But while he jumped at the chance to see what it was all about, his buddy had left out some valuable information.
“Of course I know who Nate Diaz is and it would be an honor to train with them. So funny story – I actually go out with him one time and this was the offseason after my first year wrestling,” he said. “I’m like 19 years old. I go to the Diaz gym in Stockton, I see Nate there and all the guys, and [my buddy] didn’t tell me it was a sparring day.”
It was already a big ask to be put in that room with so many talented fighters, but it got much more serious in quick fashion.
“Literally, I’ve never put on gloves before besides boxing with my homies in the backyard or messing with wrestlers on the wrestling mat. So, of course, Nate’s was in camp for somebody,” Paxton recalled. “He was like, ‘you want to take some of our gear and get in the ring with Nate?’ I’m not going to say no. So literally, fresh out of wrestling season, I had my very first sparring rounds ever in a cage, for boxing, was against Nate Diaz.”
Paxton was realistic about what success might have looked like that day – nearly a decade ago at this point. While he didn’t exactly take it to Stockton’s finest, he did feel like he showed that he had the toughness to make it in the sport.
“I will say he took it easy on me – took it light. He was being pretty nice to me, but we went about three or three to five rounds,” he recalled. “I definitely earned his respect. The fact that I was able to go for like five rounds, even though I never boxed before.”
Now with a little more experience under his belt, and that same toughness in tow, he looks to arrive in the same lightweight division that Nate Diaz made his home in for years. Paxton fights for a UFC contract this Tuesday on Dana White’s Contender Series against Cristian Perez. The fight card starts at 7pm EST and airs on Paramount+.
