When Rick Story stepped in for an injured Anthony Johnson, UFC on Versus 4 suddenly became relevant to the welterweight title picture.
Rather than an preparing for an introductory match against a fighter on the lower rung of the “Top 20” welterweight rankings, Nate Marquardt is now faced with a much more dangerous opponent who seems to be getting stronger with each bout.
By all means, the winner of this main event should be considered the most dangerous welterweight not named Georges St. Pierre.
Moreover, the fact of the matter is simply this—Rick Story or Nate Marquardt should get a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship, regardless of how the fight ends.
Give credit to Story for covering his bases, though, as he rightly suspects that finishing Marquardt is the only way to secure a shot.
As he told ESPN, a finish would “definitely” put him in line for a title fight, while a decision might require “one more fight.” Marquardt should be thinking the same thing.
Regardless, making the winner of this bout the next title contender makes sense. In fact, I’m surprised that the UFC didn’t establish this as soon as Story stepped up on short notice. Still, there’s plenty of good reasons for Dana White and the UFC to commit to giving a winner a shot at the belt right now.
1. Georges St. Pierre Isn’t Going Anywhere
Pretty much all talk of a superfight between GSP and Anderson Silva has died down, especially with the former fighting Nick Diaz at UFC 137 and the latter facing Yushin Okami at UFC Rio.
Assuming that St. Pierre uses his biggest strength to exploit Diaz’s biggest weakness, it’s not far fetched to say that Canada’s favorite fighter will most likely be looking for another challenger that he hasn’t already beaten.
Rick Story and Nate Marquardt each make compelling match-ups based on different criteria.
Story’s wrestling, granite chin, and brute strength would be interesting walls for GSP to break down, especially looking at how brazenly the “Horror Story” went after Thiago Alves at UFC 130.
Unlike three of St. Pierre’s last four opponents, Story is good at more than one thing. He’s not reliant on haymakers, nor does he lose the ability to fight if he can’t ground his opponent.
Similarly, Marquardt is equally well rounded, and unlike Story, has the benefit of overall fight experience that outstrips most other fighters in UFC. If the weight cut doesn’t take away Marquardt’s grappling prowess or one-punch knock-out power, he could be a very sellable opponent for GSP.
And if Nick Diaz does manage to win against St. Pierre, the dangerous wrestling and grappling threats from both fighters would obvious from the very start.
2. Rick Story is Mowing Down Everyone
Dana White and the UFC have thrown guys at George St. Pierre with half the winning streak that Story has managed to accrue.
If Story can put down Marquardt, his profile couldn’t possibly be higher, and a fight against anyone else—even Jon Fitch—would be a step sideways rather than forward.
Considering Marquardt’s reputation and the opposition he’s faced, a win from the “Horror Story” would be a major upset in my eyes.
3. Nate Marquardt Needs to Put Up or Shut Up
Nothing is more irritating in MMA matchmaking than fighters who deliberately avoid putting up their dukes against teammates. In Marquardt’s case, a title shot against the winner of GSP vs. Diaz puts him in a position where he could very well have to face off against a Greg Jackson fighter.
In the middleweight division, this wasn’t a problem—Team Jackson doesn’t have notable fighters in that division, especially as it’s currently ruled by Anderson Silva and his Front Kicks of Death.
If Marquardt wins on Sunday, there’s a wealth of fights that he can take, but Georges St. Pierre should be at the top of the list. Either these two training partners would have to face up to their contracts and fight, or the circumstances might prompt GSP to move up in weight.
And should Marquardt lose to Story, there’s still plenty of attractive bouts for him to consider at welterweight, provided he doesn’t head back to 185 pounds to take on Michael Bisping.
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