The UFC on Versus 4 card has seen a change to the main event after an injury to headliner Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson (9-3) forced him off the card. Replacing ‘Rumble’ will be recent UFC 130 winner Rick ‘Horror’ Story (13-3) who now takes on Nate ‘The Great’ Marquardt (31-10-2).
Fresh off his career-best victory over Thiago Alves at UFC 130, rising welterweight star Rick Story will step up to face former middleweight contender and 170-pound debutant Nate Marquardt on June 26th in Pittsburgh after it was revealed today that Marquardt’s original foe, Anthony Johnson, was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury.
UFC Live: Marquardt vs. Story (aka UFC on Versus 4) is scheduled for June 26 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The main card will air live on Versus in the U.S. and on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.
Story will step back into the Octagon with less than a months time after his unanimous decision win over Thiago Alves at UFC 130. That victory was his sixth win in a row, and twelfth win in thirteen bouts. ‘Horror’ recently called out Jon Fitch, but the perennial No. 1 welterweight turned him down. Story has also earned victories over Johny Hendricks, Dustin Hazelett, Nick Osipczak, Jesse Lennox, and Brian Foster in that six win run.
Marquardt makes the move from 185 lbs to 170 lbs for the first time in the UFC. ‘The Great’ is 2-1 in his last three fights, having earned a unanimous decision over a late UFC 128 replacement in Dan Miller in March. He lost a No. 1 contender bout to Yushin Okami at UFC 122 and stopped Rousimar Palhares by first round TKO at UFC Fight Night 22.