When talking about sports in South Dakota, the ones that come up for discussion are obviously football, basketball, soccer etc. This time of year, track and field and baseball along with softball may join conversation because of their popularity and growth. Many of these are staples and normalcies among communities around the state. However, over the weekend there was one specific sporting event that doesn’t often get much publicity or airtime that was thrust into the spotlight. The sport? Professional fighting.
Admittedly, in only my second full year as a resident of South Dakota, I could not make a comfortable connection between the sport and the state. In almost all of my interactions with folks from and around this great state, I never once met someone who seemed to me like they would enjoy the sport of MMA or fighting in general. To be quite frank, everyone simply seemed too nice. But Saturday’s Professional Fighting League event in Sioux Falls completely changed my perspective on fighting in South Dakota. My perspective was not changed because I encountered any rude or angry patrons at the PFL fight, quite the opposite. It was one of the most electric and energetic crowds I have seen this state host yet.
Saturday evening thousands of fight fans converged on the Pentagon in Sioux Falls for a 12-fight card that not only saw elite fighters in the octagon, but saw elite fighters representing their home state of South Dakota. This was no small event either, this was a major card that was broadcast on ESPN2, giving it huge publicity and also putting it in the same conversation as UFC. Professional fighting at multiple levels is the second fastest growing sport globally, and it made its mark on the Midwest with Saturday’s card.
The night began with two heavyweights in Maxwell Djantou Nana defeating Karl Williams before the first SD fighter of the night stepped into the cage. Brett Bye, a fighter who hails from Sioux Falls and wrestled at SDSU, ignited the early crowd with a thrilling TKO against Taylor Michels to set up South Dakota fighters for a successful night.
Cheyanne Bowers, another South Dakota fighter, brought an immense amount of energy when she fought later in the evening. She would face off with an undefeated Sabrinna de Sousa and lose by split-decision, however, it was clear the fans in attendance were thrilled to have more representation in the ring with Bowers.
The main card saw some great fights, but the anticipation was all building to the Logan “Storm” Storley fight. Storley was born in Webster, South Dakota and built an incredibly impressive high school wrestling career that saw multiple championships to his name. He would go on to wrestle at Minnesota, one of the premier programs in the country before working his way up to the PFL.
As Storley entered the octagon, ‘USA’ chants showered over the two fighters. The excitement was palpable and would remain at a high level throughout each round as Storley and his competitor Florim Zendeli battled back and forth. Storley controlled the fight, using the crowd as a helpful momentum boost. When the two were on their feet, Storley clearly held the advantage, landing more punches and forcing Zendeli to fight on his heels. Storley also used his wrestling background to control the fight when it went to the ground, which is where the fight ended in the third round. Storley jumped up when the final horn sounded almost certainly knowing he had secured the victory, matching the energy from the crowd who was almost trying to will Storley to the win. That would prove to be the case thanks to a unanimous decision by the judges.
Storley fired up after controlling the third round and the fight in front of the home crowd.
The event as a whole proved to be a huge success for Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the sport’s future in the state. The fight itself sold out of tickets after just minutes of being on the market, proving a demand for this type of sport in South Dakota. The sports even had crossover thanks to one certain celebrity in attendance. The crowd erupted in Vikings SKOL chants when the big screens showed that former Viking quarterback Daunte Culpepper was in attendance.
Wrestling at the high school and collegiate level has always been incredibly popular around South Dakota, but professional fighting has slowly started to pick up steam here in the Midwest. It is a slow drip because the sport is abrasive, violent and tough to stomach for some. However, it is clear that there is a strong contingent of fight fans in the state (and surrounding areas) that are hungry for more. This was one of the first few fights that South Dakota will host on a major level like this, and it will certainly not be the last.
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