Rick Story knows what it feels like to have momentum in the UFC welterweight division.
The Washington-born powerhouse rose to prominence in the 170-pound ranks on the strength of a six-fight winning streak that included wins over former title challenger Thiago Alves and prospect-turned-champion Johny Hendricks. “The Horror” used his solid wrestling base and forward pressure to overwhelm the opposition inside the Octagon, and the run he put on between 2009-2011, had Story poised to be the next big thing in the highly competitive welterweight division.
But mixed martial arts is an unpredictable sport.
Story’s red-hot streak would eventually come to an end in the summer of 2011 and the 30-year-old Vancouver-based fighter has spent the past three years scrapping to regain his footing in the upper tier of the 170-pound fold. Moving his training to the MMA Lab and a solid victory in his most recent outing against Leonardo Mafra back in July have things moving in the right direction, and Story will be looking to continue his climb when he faces Gunnar Nelson at Fight Night 53 in Stockholm on Oct. 4.
“[Nelson] has a weird karate stance, but he’s a good striker and he has outstanding grappling,” Story told Bleacher Report. “He’s also aggressive. I have pretty heavy hands and my striking keeps evolving. My transitions between wrestling and striking are getting better everyday. He’s going to be coming in for takedowns and I’m going to be hitting him on the defensive. I also have the ability to take him down and hit him while he’s on the ground and when he’s trying to get up.
“This fight has the ability to be really exciting or it could be really boring. There’s a chance he could take me down, ride me out and ground and pound me for a full round. This fight is definitely up in the air and just depends on what happens in there.”
There was plenty of buzz surrounding Nelson’s arrival to the UFC back in 2012, and Story believes the hype attached to the grappling phenom is absolutely valid. The Iceland native has found success in all four of his showings inside the Octagon and has looked more impressive with each respective showing.
The hard-charging veteran is well aware of how such things can be derailed, and that is what he’ll be looking to do when he steps in against the talented young prospect in the main event at Fight Night 53.
“As far as hype is concerned, I don’t get caught up in it,” Story said. “I know Gunnar is great and he has hype for a reason. He’s doing the right things and people are seeing the greatness that he brings. I’m not going to take anything away from that or any of the hype that he has, but I’m definitely going to make him realize what it’s like fighting the upper echelon in the welterweight division.
“I don’t think he’s faced anyone like me who can go in with their head down and charge. There aren’t many people who will do that. There could be a situation where he has the advantage, then all of a sudden it changes from a fight into a brawl. When it turns into a brawl things get messy and technique goes out the window. I can take a good shot. I can go in with that confidence and go in and try to hit him as hard as I can if that situation comes up.
“I’m sure experience will play a factor, but to what level I don’t know,” he responded when asked about the difference in UFC experience between them. “It always plays a factor, but it depends on how focus you come into a fight. That’s going to be on his shoulders. I know I’m focused. I’m comfortable. It’s a five-round fight, and while I’ve only done that once in my career, I’m pretty confident in my conditioning if I need to go that far.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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