UFC welterweight, Rick Story is heading into his bout this weekend with a wave of momentum, as he looks to face Nate Marquardt in the main event at UFC on Versus 4.
The welterweight prospect has been making a name for himself in the division, as he has recorded wins over Dustin Hazelett and Thiago Alves. And after stepping in for an injured Anthony Johnson on short notice, Story looks at his upcoming bout with Marquardt not only as a stepping stone to a potential title shot, but as a challenge as well.
“I want every fight that I can get that obviously will get me closer to that title, but then again, I love fighting,” Story told Sherdog.com.
“It’s fun. You throw a challenge at me, I’m going to step up to it.”
And for Marquardt, who will make his debut at 170 lbs., Story also poses as a challenge for the Greg Jackson product, too. In fact, Story believes Marquardt’s recent move to the welterweight division will affect his opponent’s chances of winning.
However, that is not how he intends to rely on defeating Marquardt. Story said he looks to exploit Marquardt’s takedown defense as a key to victory, a weakness he saw in Marquardt’s bout against Chael Sonnen at UFC 109.
“If you watch his fight with Chael Sonnen, it’s pretty evident, he doesn’t have exceptional takedown defense,” he said.
“In that Chael Sonnen fight, Chael went in that fight with a great game plan that worked for him. It showed a weakness in Marquardt’s game.”
And if Story looks to ascend among the welterweight division, he said simply beating Marquardt isn’t enough for him.
“If it’s another decision, it’s not as much a priority. But if I end up finishing Nate, I think that puts me closer to that title shot,” he said.
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