· Rick Story Poised To Contend With Win At UFC 130

So maybe UFC 130 doesn’t have the hype of some of the other recent events. There are still, however, a few intriguing storylines involved on the card. One that hasn’t received as much attention in the buildup to next Saturday night is the possible emergence of Rick Story (12-3). In fact, this is a very intriguing fight for the hardcore enthusiasts, but less so for casual fans, since Rick remains virtually unknown.

In a division dominated for the past four years by the legendary Georges St-Pierre, the emergence of any reputable contender is welcome. As witnessed, the world champion dispatched numerous competent challengers in recent years (Fitch, Alves, Shields, Penn, etc.), so it can become difficult to get too excited about a viable challenger emerging. The coming months should see more players arise in the welterweight division, but Rick Story is one of the few fighters currently that has genuine potential to contend.

Ever since a decision loss in his UFC debut to fellow prospect John Hathaway, Story has been on a win streak. So, what does Rick do well? For starters, his versatility is an asset. It’s one thing to claim that you’re a versatile fighter, but quite another to enter the cage and actually show proof of it. A former NAIA national runner-up, Story has legit wrestling credentials. As he showed in his upset victory over former NCAA Division I national champion (and fellow highly regarded MMA prospect) Johny Hendricks, Story is not easily taken down, or kept there.

Despite having few victories by way of knockout, Story appears to possess above-average punching power at this level. Among his fights, he’s done a good job of staying calm while exchanging strikes and is fairly heavy-handed. It would be advantageous, however, to see his striking volume increase. In his UFC debut decision loss to Hathaway, Story was outworked significantly in the striking department. If he’s going to take that next step he’ll need to stay busier than that.

Durability is another key criteria by which to gauge a prospect. Rick seems to have this as well, although we’ll likely see it tested more than ever next Saturday in Las Vegas. Consider also that Story is athletic, young and has gained much-needed, valuable experience in recent years. All things said, there is an upset in the making at UFC 130.

Solidly now on the radar of most hardcore fans, Story can translate his recent success into becoming a much more well-known contender if he can pull off this win. Not only is his matchup on the televised portion of a pay-per-view event (a spot coveted by virtually any up-and-coming fighter), it also sees him square off with former world title challenger and highly-skilled veteran Thiago “Pitbull” Alves (18-7). Alves has looked really good throughout his UFC run and is coming off of a one-sided victory over John Howard back in December. In essence, this is an excellent test to see where Rick Story stands.

It’s true that Alves has more “big fight” experience. Predicting an upset here is not implausible, however, in thinking that Rick will rise to the occasion and somehow can get this win. On May 28, we’ll very likely see a new contender emerge. So tell your “casual MMA fan” friends to get ready. Rick Story might just be a name that they’ll want to remember.