Welterweight contender Logan Storley says he is primed and ready to step in and capture interim gold at Bellator 281, and says he’ll back his wrestling to get the job done against Michael “Venom” Page in London.
The American received the call to step in and replace Ukraine’s undisputed champion Yaroslav Amosov, whose planned title defence against England’s Michael “Venom” Page in London was scrapped due to Amosov returning home to defend his country.
While the circumstances that led to the opportunity were not pleasant for the current champion, Storley has managed to stay focused on the job at hand, and said he’s ready to take the chance with both hands.
“My agent called me and all of a sudden it was time to fly back to Florida and get ready for camp again,” he recalled.
“It’s a great opportunity to become world champion. Obviously it’s a bad moment for Amosov but I can’t control that and ‘MVP’ can’t control that.
“‘MVP’ is a competitor and he’s one of the best guys for a reason. I’ve been wrestling since age five at the highest level and I’m going to go out there and give it my all with the best of my ability.”
Page’s flashy style and penchant for highlight-reel finishes has made him one of the most recognisable fighters on the Bellator roster. That sits just fine with Storley, who hopes to step in and steal the Brit’s shine with a title-winning performance on Friday night.
“I think it’s my time and it’s time to show the world who I am against a top fighter like ‘MVP,'” he said.
“We both have our gameplans – I want to get my takedowns and do damage on top. You learn a lot about each other once the fight begins, so we’ll see.
“Obviously, I think ‘MVP’ has proven himself as a top guy and I don’t have anything disrespectful to say about the guy.
“But we’ve seen the likes of Daley and Lima get to their takedowns and I’m going to try to take full advantage of that.”
Storley clearly fancies his chances of success with his wrestling against Page’s striking. But he’s certainly not disregarding the skills the Londoner will bring to the cage on Friday night at Wembley.
“You have to respect him. He’s a great fighter with a great record,” he said.
“But nobody sets up their takedowns like me and they aren’t as powerful on top as me. And, most importantly, they aren’t me.”
