In Orlando, Florida, welterweight fighter Logan Storley secured his spot in the PFL World Tournament semifinals after clinching a unanimous decision victory over the relatively unknown Joseph Luciano on Thursday night.
Originally, the plan was for Storley to face off against Magomed Umalatov, a much-anticipated matchup. However, things took an unexpected turn when 2024 PFL finalist Umalatov failed to make weight on the day of the weigh-in. It’s a common scenario in MMA where weight issues can lead to bout cancellations, but in a grand prix-style setup like this tournament, there’s always a backup plan with alternate fighters standing by.
Storley, with a record of 17 wins and 3 losses, took the change in stride. “Having your opponent swap out the day before is different, but we were prepared to take on whoever came our way,” he explained to media outlets, including Cageside Press, from Universal Studios in Orlando. “We went back to basics, focused on essential drills, and I think it showed in the ring tonight. Despite the last-minute change of plans right from the start, I’m satisfied with the effort. We gave it our all tonight.”
Like many fans, Storley expressed his disappointment about the cancelled fight with Umalatov, which promised a thrilling showdown between a Bellator standout and a PFL veteran. “I was a bit let down. A lot of people were looking forward to that fight, myself included,” he noted. “But this is how a world tournament works, and when he missed weight, there was nothing I could do about it.” Regarding Luciano, Storley admitted, “I didn’t know much about him. We had roughly 24 hours to prepare, so we watched a few of his fights and crafted a strategy from there.”
Looking ahead, Storley’s next opponent is Masayuki Kikuiri, the Japanese fighter who dominated Giannis Bachar, leaving him unable to continue into the third round. Storley shared, “I caught a glimpse of his match, but my focus was on my fight at the time.” Now, he’s got homework ahead to prepare.
There’s also a potential match on the horizon with his American Top Team comrade, Jason Jackson, in the PFL World Tournament final. Jackson made headlines at the PFL 1 event, successfully submitting former Bellator champion Andrey Koreshkov. Although Jason mentioned that training could get a bit awkward, Storley played down any potential tension.
“We’ve trained together for years, and I consider Jason a friend. We’ve always supported each other for our fights,” Storley said. “When it comes to competition, it’s just that—competition. Like I mentioned before this all began, there are two fights to handle before thinking about that.” Correcting himself, he added, “Well, now it’s down to one. Right now, I’m focused solely on the semifinals.”
Be sure to check out Storley’s complete post-fight discussion at the 2025 PFL 1 event, available in the video above.
