Es posible que Logan Storley haya sellado su pase a una pelea por el título del campeonato de peso welter de Bellator luego de un emocionante enfrentamiento de cinco asaltos con Neiman Gracie en Bellator 274. Storley y Gracie tiraron el agarre por la ventana e intercambiaron cuero durante 25 minutos frente a la multitud de Mohegan Sun en Uncasville, Connecticut, el sábado por la noche.
Storley, cuatro veces All-American de la División I de la NCAA en una de las universidades de lucha libre más prestigiosas, y Gracie, un as de la sumisión de un linaje de la realeza del jiu-jitsu, anularon las fortalezas de cada uno. La pelea se disolvió en una pelea a veces desordenada, pero consistentemente entretenida. Storley le dijo a CBS Sports esta semana que impulsaría el ritmo y cumplió su palabra. El destacado colegiado pareció sacar lo mejor de los intercambios de golpes en las primeras tres rondas.
Gracie lastimó gravemente a Storley en la ronda 4, pero Storley logró conectar un gancho de derecha contundente que derribó al brasileño. Ambos hombres mostraron una tremenda determinación, luchando contra el mareo y la fatiga. Gracie se basó en combinaciones cortantes de codos de cerca. Storley detuvo repetidamente el impulso hacia adelante de su oponente con henificadores. Los contendientes de peso welter se renovaron en el marco final, cerrando el primer evento principal de cinco asaltos sin título de Bellator con más acción. Storley recibió la decisión unánime por puntajes de 48-47, 50-45 y 49-46.
«Soy un peleador ahora. Eso lo demostró. Cualquier duda que haya tenido alguna vez sobre recibir un golpe, eso lo aclaró», le dijo Storley a John McCarthy en la entrevista posterior a la pelea. «Eso fue lo más divertido que he tenido compitiendo en mi vida. Te lo diré.
«Quiero ser el mejor del mundo y quiero ese título a continuación».
Storley (13-1) ahora contempla una revancha contra el campeón de peso welter de Bellator, Yaroslav Amosov, o contra el destacado delantero Michael «Venom» Page, dependiendo de quién emerja de Bellator London como campeón. La victoria sobre Gracie le dio a Storley un impulso muy necesario. Storley perdió por decisión dividida ante Amosov en noviembre de 2020 y lució terriblemente plano en una victoria por decisión dividida sobre el debutante de Bellator, Dante Schiro, en agosto.
Gracie (11-3) ha alternado victorias y derrotas desde diciembre de 2018. La derrota ante Storley es la última de una tendencia que incluye contratiempos contra Jason Jackson y Rory MacDonald, y victorias sobre Mark Lemminger, Jon Fitch y Ed Ruth.
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