By Kelsey Mowatt

Rick Story headed into last weekend’s UFC Live on Versus event ready to stake his claim in the promotion’s welterweight title shot mix, by defeating former middleweight contender Nate Marquardt. In what is well documented history now of course, Story ended up facing last minute replacement Charlie Brenneman, and it would be the Pennsylvania fighter and not Story stealing the spotlight.

“I haven’t really sat down and looked at the fight,” Story told FCF, while discussing his unanimous decision loss to Brenneman last Sunday. “I’m disgusted with my performance. I know what my ability is and I know that I can perform better than that.”

Brenneman turned to his extensive wrestling skills as a means to end Story’s six fight winning streak, by taking down his 26 year-old-opponent on several occasions and controlling much of the fight from the top position.

“I knew he was a top wrestler but going through that entire camp I didn’t train takedown defense,” Story said about Brenneman, who stepped in for Marquardt after the veteran fighter was not medically cleared by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission on Saturday.  “I mean still I should be able to defend a takedown but my reaction time was off; everything seemed out of sync.”

“I didn’t train takedown defense for (Thiago) Alves either,” added the former collegiate wrestler. “So I went through two training camps without training that. I have the skills to defend takedowns but I just think I was really rusty.”

Story agreed to fight Marquardt less than one month removed from the Brave Legion fighter’s biggest win to date, a unanimous decision win over the aforementioned Alves at UFC 130 on May 28^th. At the time, Story told FCF that he didn’t hesitate to take the bout, citing the possibilities another big name win would bring him.

“Yeah, I would,” said Story, when asked if he could do it all over again, would he have agreed to fight Brenneman under the same circumstances. “That’s just my style.”

Despite having engaged in back-to-camps and competing twice in less than one month, it sounds as though Story emerged from Sunday’s bout largely unscathed.

“He hit me with a couple of decent shots that I remember,” Story acknowledged about Brenneman, who had orginally been scheduled to fight TJ Grant at the June 26^th event until the welterweight fell ill. “He hit me with a hook and then he hit me with an overhand that landed right on my nose. Those were shots that he landed but he didn’t rock me or anything.”

Story says he’s anxious to start training again, and although he would like to fight as soon as possible, he doesn’t expect to compete for another three or four months. It will be interesting to see who the promotion matches the Washington fighter up against next, considering his 6-2 Octagon record and still recent win over Alves.

“Well anybody that beats me I want a rematch with,” said Story while discussing possible future opponents. “I’d love to get back that loss; I’d love to get a camp together and train specifically for his fight style, but yeah, we’ll see.”

Photo courtesy Brave Legion