Rick Story (18-8) continued his re-invention after eight years in the game by outscoring Gunnar Nelson (13-1-1) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night Stockholm main event at the Ericsson Globe Arena. The man they call “The Horror Story” looks reborn with John Crouch at The MMA Lab in Arizona, having posted consecutive wins for the first time since 2010 when he decisioned Johny Hendricks (16_2), now the welterweight champion.
Back then the American was the living, breathing image of a scrapper. A pit-bull determined to concuss or take his rival down with every movement. This version of Story is different. The 30-year-old waited until the championship rounds to truly find a home for his body attacks while he even notched up a knockdown in round four. That Nelson was largely a 4-1 favourite, previously 4-0 in the UFC, speaks volumes.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Nelson scored a trip early but Story looked to close the distance with leg kicks. Those attacks took their toll as the Icelander’s thigh reddened. But “Gunni” would always be dangerous on the ground. His nine submission victories unmask a man hungry for the takedown especially in the latter stages of the stanza.
Having scored a power-double in round three, Nelson quickened the pace – for once – with Muay Thai knees and a kick to the body. Story’s experience told in the final rounds though. A short, shovelling left snapped Nelson’s neck back, causing his body to jolt to the canvas for a moment. Although the SBG Ireland man avoided a follow-up the damage was done and by the decider, Story unleashed a mirage of angles, nailing shots to the stomach and the sweet spot underneath the elbow.
With split scores of 50-44, 49-46 and 47-48, Story moves up the 170lbs food chain.
Featherweight Mike Wilkinson (9-1) and middleweight Scott Askham (13-1) provided British interest on the night. Wilkinson faced heavy fire but romped through against the 6 foot 1 Swede, Nicklas Bakstrom (8-1). Shipping a range of kicks, the Wigan man countered with one of those one-in-a-lifetime punches, an overhand right that switched Bakstrom’s lights out at 1:19 in round one.
Askham had no such luck, dropping a unanimous decision on his UFC debut to Magnus Cedenblad (13-4) from Sweden’s Allstars Training Center. Although the Yorkshireman knocked his man silly with perfectly timed front kick to the face, he couldn’t follow it up. He conceded top position for most of the fight and the three scores of 29-28 couldn’t be argued with.
Still, a few more home draws didn’t hear the final bell. Malmo light-heavyweight Ilir Latifi (9-4-1 NC) was humbled by Poland’s UFC debutant Jan Blachowiscz (18-3), who switched stances with ease before a kick to the body ended matters at 1:58 of round one. The way Latifi covered up following the attack was painful to watch. Think Brock Lesnar (5-3) cowering against the fence.
New York’s Swedish featherweight Akira Corassani (12-5-1 NC) was stopped at 3:11 of the opener by Max Holloway (11-3), the 22-year Hawaii youngster who already looks at home after 10 fights in the UFC. Dipping in and out of exchanges with a serenity that belied his years, “Blessed” starched Corassani with right handed attacks, dropping him before referee Kristian Hacklou stopped it following an extended ground assault.
The 145lbs talent pool is becoming even deeper though. Russia’s Zubaira Tukhugov (17-3) , training out of Tiger Muay Thai, showed a killer instinct in stopping Ernest Chavez (7-2) with strikes at 4:21 of round one. Spinning back-fists, leg kicks, uppercuts… it was all there for the Grozny native who wore his challenger down against the fence. Dennis Siver (22-9-1 NC), the German who made his UFC debut in 2007, welcomed American Top Team’s Charles Rosa (9-1) to the division by picking up a hard-fought verdict, 30-27 on all cards. Both men carved out opportunities for every submission under the sun, while Rosa’s skill-set looks sharp having fought 10 times at the age of 28.
It wasn’t all fun and games however. Not every fight delivered. Famed for his comeback in July over Mike King, Dublin welterweight Cathal Pendred (15-2-1) had to settle for a timid decision – 29-28 (twice) with the same score the other way – against Russia’s Gasan Umalatov (15-4-1). Pendred tried to load up on single shots while Umalatov’s takedown defence was on point – remember he’s never been stopped either.
Perhaps the least interesting clash of the night was Stockholm welterweight Nico Musoke’s (13-3-1 NC) decision over Russian sambo expert Alexander Yakovlev (21-6-1) (30-27 on all three cards). Musoke seemed to have only one trick up his sleeve: drive for the takedown, secure the bodylock against the fence and smother for dear life. Musoke is a skilled fighter – see his armbar over Alessio Sakara (15-11-1 NC) in 2013 – but his performance lacked a sense of impetus or variety.
Meanwhile at lightweight Grozny’s Mairbek Taisumov (22-5) got rid of a dangerous opponent in emphatic fashion, knocking out Marcin Bandel (13-3) from Poland at 4:21 of round one. While few thought it would go the distance – Bandel boasts 12 submission wins in the first round – a right hand thrown with every inch of Taisumov’s frame left the UFC debutant stricken. In the same weight class another Pole, Krzysztof Jotko (15-1), utilized the more diverse stand-up to upturn Sweden’s Tor Troeng (16-7-1) with cards reading 30-26 (twice) and 30-27.
