A Minnesota Golden Gopher going on to become a fighter is nothing new, but one name rising through the ranks on the fighting scene is former Gophers linebacker Bailey Schoenfelder.
People from Huron, South Dakota will remember the name as Schoenfelder was a star football player and state champion wrestler. At the University of Minnesota he played linebacker, though because he didn’t get a lot of playing time his name might not be very familiar to most.
In fact, the moment that got the most attention during his four years at Minnesota was when a U.S. marine parachuted onto the field at the football stadium to surprise him with a scholarship offer. Schoenfelder was a preferred walk-on when he got to the U in 2016. Two years later head coach P.J. Fleck helped set up the surprise scholarship.
But more people are learning who he is thanks to what is so far an undefeated record as an mixed martial arts fighter. Schoenfelder is 4-0 as a fighter and he’ll be battling for the heavyweight championship this Friday at the Cage Fury Fighting Championships in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Schoenfelder, who goes by the nickname “Berserk,” is the challenger and trying to claim the title from Greg “The Viking King” Velasco (6-1).
Schoenfelder, 26, won his first professional fight with a knockout just 20 seconds into the bout in 2021. His second fight ended in a first-round knockout at Bellator 265 and he moved to 3-0 as a pro with submission win at Bellator 284 in August 2022. His most recent fight was another first-round knockout at an event held at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota.
One former football player who definitely remembers his name is Chad Greenway. The South Dakota native who starred at Iowa before spending his entire NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings just so happens to be Schoenfelder’s cousin.
2024-04-09 18:55:29
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