FARGO — When Taylor Michels started training at Fargo’s Academy of Combat Arts around six years ago, weight loss was one of his primary goals. He also wanted to be part of the gym’s mixed martial arts program, which is invitation only.
“At that point I was really overweight,” said Michels, a 2011 West Fargo High School graduate. “I wanted to be able to train and hang with the guys that were on the team. That was literally my whole goal.”
Now, Michels is set to fight for one of the top mixed martial arts promotions in the world. The 6-foot, 170-pound Michels is on the Professional Fighters League (PFL) event scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The 33-year-old Michels (1-0) has one pro fight and six amateur bouts under his belt heading into the event. He’s fighting Brett Bye in a welterweight bout on the preliminary card.
“This is super cool,” said Michels, who weighed around 260 pounds when he first started training at ACA. “I said ‘Yes’ right away. I know these opportunities are not going to be waiting for me forever.”
Logan Storley, from Webster, South Dakota, fights Florim Zendeli, from Albania, in a welterweight clash that headlines the main card.
Michels most recently fought Tommy Eagle on Oct. 18, 2025, in a Throne MMA event at Butler Machinery Arena in West Fargo. That was Michels’ first pro bout. Saturday’s prelims at the Sanford Pentagon are slated to start at 6 p.m. and televised on ESPN+. The main card is set to begin at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
“It is a huge opportunity, it’s kind of a cherry on top,” said Dylan Spicer, who owns ACA and coaches Michels. “I wouldn’t say it’s the end of the dessert though, but it’s definitely this huge moment for Taylor.”
At his biggest, Michels said he weighed more than 280 pounds before he got into a weight-loss challenge with a group of friends. After running and lifting for a month wasn’t working for him, Michels decided to try the Academy of Combat Arts.
“Everybody says they want to do MMA, but you can never really take anybody seriously because you don’t know,” Spicer said. “Wait until you get a taste of it and you’ll decide whether you want to be a part of it. It’s extremely difficult.”
Michels was able to shed the weight, and boxing and jiu-jitsu are among his strengths as a fighter, Spicer said.
“He’s very well-rounded,” Spicer added.
Spicer credits Michels for consistently putting in the work over the years, while also overcoming a knee surgery and bumps and bruises on his journey to Saturday’s fight.
“I’m really proud of him and I’m sure he’s proud of himself,” Spicer said.
Spicer is set to have a busy weekend. He will be coaching veteran heavyweight Tim Johnson on Friday night at a fighting event in Miami. He then will fly to Fargo on Saturday morning and then drive to Sioux Falls to coach Michels.
Michels does automotive fabrication when he’s not in the gym.
“I build race cars for a living,” Michels said with a laugh.
Michels added he’s got a chip-away mentality when it comes to his MMA career.
“I’ve never really had a very long, long, long-term goal or anything with this,” Michels said. “I’ve always had the next goal right in front of me. Once we pass that, then we will move on to the next goal.”
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.