Rick Story
Active 2009–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 79.0
Scouting report
Handing future welterweight champion Johny Hendricks his first professional defeat alongside wins over Gunnar Nelson and Thiago Alves, Rick "The Horror" Story was a pressure fighter. Emerging from Tacoma, Washington, Story punished opponents with body hooks, clinch work, and physical strength, captured by an 84 Wrestling and 82 Strength, securing a 79 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Story compiled key victories between 2014 and 2015, defeating Leonardo Mafra in Atlantic City and outworking top prospect Gunnar Nelson over five rounds in Stockholm, Sweden with body hooks and wrestling pressure. His physical strength, inside dirty boxing, and collegiate wrestling control are reflected in an 80 Boxing and 84 Wrestling.
Story defeated former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine by unanimous decision in Las Vegas in May 2016 before suffering a second-round TKO defeat to Donald Cerrone at UFC 202 in Las Vegas. His durable frame, forward pressure, and body-punching combinations anchor his 79 Boxing and 80 Durability ratings.
Rick Story, a Washington wrestler with steady pressure
Rick Story came from Washington state and made a name as a tough, pressure-focused welterweight. He fought several of the division's best and was rarely out of a fight. His style is built on wrestling and forward pressure. In a draft he is a reliable, hard-nosed pick. He is the kind of fighter who is easy to underrate, because none of his skills is spectacular. The value is in how they fit. He wrestles well, holds up under pressure, and keeps pushing forward for the entire fight, and that gives him a very consistent floor.
Story, attribute by attribute
Boxing. Good. He throws hard shots and follows them with wrestling.
Kickboxing. His weakest area. He rarely kicks, and his striking is basic.
Wrestling. His best skill. He is a strong wrestler who uses takedowns to control rounds.
BJJ. Fair. He can hold position but is not a finisher.
Strength. Very good. He is strong in the clinch.
Durability. Very good. He is tough and hard to hurt.
Cardio. Good. He keeps his pace throughout the fight.
Fight IQ. Fair. He follows his plan and rarely adapts.
Wrestling is where he leans
With wrestling at the top of his card, he can shape the fight in the way that best suits him. Combined with his durability and strength, that makes him an annoying opponent for strikers. Pick him when you need someone to grind through a long fight. Against other tough welterweights he did not always win, but he almost always made the fight difficult. In a draft that steady output is useful, particularly on a team built around a few high-variance stars who could use a dependable partner.
Kickboxing leaves him exposed: Kickboxing
Kickboxing is the lowest rating. A good striker who keeps him at range can win rounds without engaging in wrestling. Give him teammates who can strike.
Keep exploring
Closest welterweight profiles to Rick Story, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Mike Piercebest wrestling 83 · weakest kickboxing 68
- Josh Koscheckbest wrestling 89 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Dong Hyun Kimbest wrestling 85 · weakest kickboxing 72
- Jake Ellenbergerbest boxing 86 · weakest bjj 72
- Welterweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Rick Story's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Rick Story into your build
Rick Story enters the pool on any spin landing on welterweight between 2014 and 2017. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Rick Story is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Rick Story's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.