BURLINGTON, N.D. (Mar. 12, 2025) — North Dakota’s Chris Tuchscherer knows how to race hard, achieve success, and persevere. His competitive drive stems from a background in wrestling, which began in his high school hometown of Bowman. Excelling at both the high school and collegiate levels, he wrestled at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo and Moorhead State before stepping into the Octagon as a competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Racing Roots and Return to the Track
Tuchscherer’s passion for racing began with derby cars before transitioning to Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars. Despite the long commute from Fargo, on the Minnesota side of the Peace Garden State, he claimed the IMCA Stock Car title at Williston-Basin Speedway in 2005 — a track located in the northwest corner of North Dakota near the Montana border. However, as his MMA career gained momentum, racing took a backseat.
His competitive fire never faded, though. Four years ago, he made his return to Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly competition, stepping into the highly competitive Friesen Performance IMCA Modified ranks. In November 2024, he secured a major victory at Central Arizona Raceway in the Turkey Shootout/Harvest Hustle. Now, in 2025, he’s expanding his racing schedule, competing full-time in both the Modified and Stock Car divisions in North Dakota for the first time in two decades.
A Career Built on Competition
Both racing and combat sports demand intense competition, unexpected upsets, and the brutal reality that effort alone doesn’t guarantee victory. Growing up in a competitive environment, Tuchscherer followed in his father’s footsteps in wrestling. He became a two-time state champion as a heavyweight at Bowman County High School before moving on to NDSU.
However, NDSU’s transition from NCAA Division II to Division I put restrictions on wrestlers competing at the NCAA Nationals during the probationary period. This led him to transfer to Moorhead State in Minnesota, where he could continue to compete at a high level.
“North Dakota State was the big college in North Dakota, and I kind of walked on the team there. I transferred to Moorhead because if you qualified for Nationals at NDSU, you couldn’t compete due to the probationary period,” Tuchscherer explained.
At Moorhead State, he earned two All-American honors and was a Division II runner-up. During this time, while balancing school and even a racing career, he was approached by local promoters in Fargo about trying mixed martial arts (MMA). This unexpected opportunity set him on a path to professional fighting.
“They wanted a ‘name guy’ in the area for a fight card at the Civic Center,” he recalled. “I took the fight, a ton of college kids showed up, and I did really well. After that, more fights happened—some in Fargo, some in Minnesota, and at casinos in North Dakota. The rest is history.”
Recognizing his potential in MMA, Tuchscherer committed to fighting full-time, relying on his wrestling background to dominate opponents with takedowns and then resorted to ground-and-pound attacks. One year after his college wrestling career ended, he received a life-changing call from Brock Lesnar’s manager, inviting him to train at the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis.
Life in the UFC
Tuchscherer spent three years training with Lesnar and fought in the UFC for two and a half years. His training schedule was grueling—with multiple-hour sessions twice or even three times a day.
“The hardest part was training ten weeks out from a fight when all you do is sleep, train, and eat. I’d train for my fights and then turn around and help Brock train for his. Even in the ‘offseason,’ you’re still training—just not as hard. You can only do it for so long before you start seeing people having issues. You’re taking concussions multiple times without even knowing it. I had the opportunity to invest in a family farm and retire from MMA.”
He finished his UFC career with a record of 28-4-0, with one no-contest. During his time in the UFC, he earned the nickname “The Crowbar,” a moniker that stuck thanks to a conversation with Lesnar.
“When we moved Brock’s training camp from Minneapolis to Alexandria, we were sitting in his camper one night just talking, and he said, ‘Tuchscherer, you need a nickname. I think you should be ‘The Crowbar’. You’re tough as nails, you can handle anything, and you tear stuff apart.’ And it stuck.”
Now, Chris owns and operates two agricultural businesses, Optimum Ag Solutions and Tuchscherer Ag Services, proudly serving the farming communities of Minot, Mohall, and Kenmare.
A New Chapter in Racing
After retiring from MMA, Tuchscherer shifted his competitive focus back to racing. Though years had passed, his passion for the sport remained strong. His return to racing felt natural, as he once again immersed himself in the world of Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly racing. Last year, he finished as the runner-up in the championship points at NoDak Speedway in Minot.
When winter puts racing on hold, he stays active in another familiar arena—wrestling. Now a coach, he guides the next generation of Tuchscherer wrestlers. His son Talen began wrestling at age four and finished third in the 2025 North Dakota State Championship as a freshman, only losing to a senior who was a four-time state champion. His stepson, Tayven, also qualified for state as a freshman in 2025. Chris also has a 7-year-old, Jace, who started wrestling at four. This is his new up-and-coming “prodigy” who is already making a name for himself in the wrestling world in youth wrestling.
From the wrestling mat to the Octagon and now the racetrack, Tuchscherer’s journey embodies determination. Whether fighting, farming, or racing, he remains a fierce competitor, always striving for success.