SARTELL — Taner Trembley was working as a salesman when he was fired on Feb. 14, 2025. Rather than leave him feeling negative, it helped Trembley find his focus. Within weeks, he was offered a chance to coach wrestlers instead of continuing in a career he new wasn’t working.
“It needed to happen,” Trembley said. “Hindsight now, what a blessing that was. I didn’t want to quit … I started doing private lessons and coaching these practices with kids in the summer. I ended up making just as much money as I did in my sales job, but coaching and doing private lessons. Plus, I was at the gym twice a day.”
That allowed the former St. Cloud State University wrestler to think seriously about a mixed martial arts career.
A year and a half later, Trembley, 31, will fight against California native Roman Puga in a three-round featherweight match at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The bout, which will be televised on Paramount+, is part of the
Trembley, who weighs 158 pounds, is 7-0 as a pro. Puga, who is 29 and weighs 146, is 5-1.
“He’s a stud,” Trembley said of Puga. “He’s a good fighter. He’s also a professional boxer. He’s also think he’s a brown belt in jiu jitsu. He’s very active on bottom. He’s real crafty … I’m really looking forward to it.”
They’re one of four undercards en route to the main event — a welterweight bout between American Namo Fazil (10-1) and Brazilian Kaik Brito (19-6). Season 10 of the Contenders Series begins Tuesday, Aug. 11, as a product of promoter Dana White under the Ultimate Fighting Championship umbrella.
Taner Trembley has developed into a successful mixed martial arts fighter after an injury-plagued career as a wrestler at St. Cloud State University.
Contributed / Tapology
According to
Trembley is the 187th-ranked MMA fighter in the North America region. He’s also regionally ranked as a lightweight and featherweight. Two of his wins have come by knockout, with the other five by submission. His most recent fight was a Legacy Fighting Alliance bout in which he earned a standing technical knockout at 2 minutes, 25 seconds of round two. For his opponent, Korey Taylor, who’d won six fights, it was the first loss of his career.
On Jan. 16, Trembley used a guillotine choke hold just 3:32 after the opening bell to beat Shaheen Santana, who was 9-4, at the Mystic Lake Showroom in Prior Lake. On Nov. 21, Trembley used the same move to beat Cole Alaxanian, who was 5-1, at 3:57 of the third round. You can find a highlight film almost three minutes long featuring Trembley’s fights at
As an amateur in 2022-23, Trembley was 4-0 with two submissions and two TKOs. In his last amateur bout, he forced a knockout with overhand right to ground punches just six seconds into the fight.
Ironically, the only reason he got into MMA fighting in 2022 was because he had an injury-riddled college career wrestling for St. Cloud State University.
Taner Trembley (right) battles Korey Taylor in an MMA match on April 17, 2026, at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake.
Contributed Legacy Fighting Alliance
Paying the price at SCSU
Trembley wrestled for the Huskies from 2013-18. His redshirted his first season, then went 17-7 at 149 pounds in 2014-15. The next year, he was 14-5 at 141.
“I loved the guys there and the coaches, but I just couldn’t fricken’ stay healthy,” said Trembley, who was 0-3 as a junior and 4-1 as a senior.
“It left a bad taste in my mouth,” he said. “I didn’t jump right into fighting. I couldn’t even make it through a season without a major injury happening … My sophomore year, I blew my shoulder out and had labrum surgery and that ended my season. The next year, I blew out my knee, (lateral collateral and medial collateral ligaments). My senior year, I got my cervical spine all messed up. I’ve got bulging discs at every level. I’ve got bone spurs and bulging and herniated discs in my neck.”
Despite not wrestling much, he was a leader for the Huskies, according to coach Steve Costanzo.
“He was a team captain, a great leader in and out of the wrestling room,” Costanzo said. “Just a tremendous person. A hard worker and super competitive and super talented. He got the hard end of the stick when it came to staying healthy.
“He was around during some of our better, most competitive teams here. He was around a lot of great guys. He was in and out of our lineup, but he contributed quite a bit.”
Building a new career
Trembley earned a degree in construction management in 2019, even though it wasn’t entirely intentional.
“I had a bunch of other buddies on the team that did that,” Trembley said of his major. “It was super easy. I thought, ‘Well, worse comes to worse, I can be a construction worker and drink Busch Light on the weekends.’ That wouldn’t be a bad life.”
His injuries kept him from any competition for three years.
“I was pretty obsessed with wrestling,” he said. “I gave everything to it. I didn’t really see any of the fruits of it in college. I used to think that I chose it, but it’s almost like it chose me. I’m not really sure why I like (MMA) as much as I do. I love the lifestyle that it gives me. I hated being behind a desk. I hate having to show up 9-5 at a place. This gives me an opportunity for a different life than most people. That part is cool.
“It’s given me so much. It’s given me discipline. It’s really matured me as a man and made me a better person, father and husband. I love to fight for whatever reason. It’s like no other feeling when you’re in that cage. It’s such a blissful, out-of-body experience and you can’t really replicate it in any other faction.”
Trembley and his wife, Brittany, have three children (Louden, 5; Rocky, 3; and Tyson, 2) and own and operate
a daycare center in Sartell.
“The electronic recycling company that I worked at for four years, the owners made a daycare for their workers in the same building,” he said. “I got to see (my kids) every day. My wife started running the daycare, the company I was working for ended up selling. Once we got the word they were selling, we asked if we could buy it.”
Taner Trembley (left) battles Korey Taylor in an MMA match on April 17, 2026, at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake.
Contributed Alliance
Raised for this
St. Cloud State
recruited Trembley after a highly successful high school career at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial.
He qualified for the state high school tournament for five straight years — at 103 in eighth grade, 112 as a freshman (when he took fourth) and 119 as a sophomore (fifth). He won state championships as a junior (132) and senior (138).
Trembley grew up in a rough-and-tumble house in Lake Crystal. His father, Chris, was a boxer.
“When I was little, we’d be watching ESPN Classic with Muhammad Ali, (Joe) Frazier, (George) Foreman, Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard,” Taner Trembley said. “My dad had me and my brother (Tory) boxing in the front yard. I kind of grew up with it and liking fighting. I looked up to fighters.”
After graduating from college, Trembley wasn’t ready to quit competing.
“Once I graduated (college), I had to do something,” said Trembley, who began training with Brock Larson, owner of
Start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in St. Cloud.
“(Because) I had a lot of injuries in college, I thought I was going to do this for fun. Once I got in there and started sparring with the guys, I’m like, ‘This is too damn fun.'”
He also started training youth and high school wrestlers.
“I got in with a lot of people up here with the Sartell program,” Trembley said. “In the summer, I’m not a big deal in the wrestling community, but I’m known up here. Ever since I was in college, I’ve been doing private lessons here and there for people. Just through word of mouth, I’ve built a good reputation. Thankfully, it’s allowed me to bring some income home for my wife and kids.”
And, if he wins on Aug. 18, who knows how much farther he can go?