PLAISANCE — At 19, Logan Speyrer was bursting with energy and nowhere to direct it.
“I was 19 with a crazy amount of energy and no where to direct it,” said the Plaisance native.
Now 27, Speyrer has transformed that once-aimless intensity into a professional fighting career rooted in discipline, resilience and self-reflection.
“I’m a loose cannon sometimes and I need a place to let off some of that high intensity,” he said.
Speyrer’s journey began with Brazilian jiu-jitsu but quickly expanded into a wide array of combat sports, including boxing and mixed martial arts. Since making his professional debut in 2019, he’s built a reputation for his unique fighting style—one that his coach says is as deceptive as it is dangerous.
“The way I’d describe Logan’s fighting style is super chill violence,” Zachary Mathiew, owner of Flash MMA, said. “His facial expression doesn’t change. He’s chilling but at the same time, he’s trying to put your lights out.”
While the ring may seem like a battlefield to some, for Speyrer, it’s a sanctuary.
“It’s given me an outlet to really cultivate inner growth and really see where my shadows lie,” he said.
Nicknamed “The Mat Monkey,” Speyrer has endured his share of setbacks in the sport, including a string of losses that led him to consider stepping away from competition altogether. But those moments of doubt became a turning point.
“I’m not doing it for the same reasons anymore,” Speyrer said. “I’m not trying to say ‘Hey, look at me.’ … You evolve over time, and everything you do evolves.”
Mathiew echoed the sentiment, noting how the student has also become a teacher.
“I’ve learned a lot from my students, probably more than they’ve learned from me,” he said. “It constantly reminds me that this is just something we do. It doesn’t define us.”
Next month, Speyrer will step into the spotlight once again—this time in Clearwater, Florida, where he will compete in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Whether he wins or loses, Speyrer said the result is no longer the measure of success.
“It’s really not even about the event anymore. I look at that all as fluff,” he said. “If people can get something out of watching me perform, that’s awesome. But, I’ve come to a point where gratitude has to be the way.”
Speyrer will be fighting Quentin Gaskins on Friday, May 2 in Clearwater, Fla. for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and can be watched on the on the BKFC App.
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