The UFC's live broadcast from Sweden Saturday afternoon was shown on its always reliable Fight Pass. Headlining the card was a welterweight scrap between Rick Story and Gunnar Nelson, which was intended to be a showcase for the Icelandic native.
Instead, in turned into a spoiler for Story. He won a split decision, which should not mean the fight was as close on the scorecards, as it was pretty one-sided for the American.
What did we learn from this five-round bout? Let's take a look right now.
What We'll Remember from this Fight
How bad Story made Nelson look. It is something that Story has been doing for years, but it came front and center due to his main event status.
Story used wrestling, counterwrestling and superior striking against Nelson, something that paid dividends throughout the fight. Nelson was unable to get comfortable throughout, which made it an easy ride for Story.
Whatever judge scored that for Nelson needs a stern talking to.
— Duane Finley (@DuaneFinleyMMA) October 4, 2014
For now, Nelson's hype train is off the tracks and Story is back in the good graces of the upper echelon.
What We Learned About Nelson
He may have been pushed into the limelight too quickly.
Nelson is undoubtedly talented and will stick around the UFC for a long time. However, he went from fighting guys like Zak Cummings and DaMarques Johnson to an established guy like Story, who's known for playing the spoiler.
Not only that, he was thrown into the main event when he may not have been ready. For the near future, the UFC needs to let Nelson develop more until he is fully ready for a big step up in competition.
What We Learned About Story
Honestly, we didn't learn a whole lot. That was a classic Story performance where he made his opponent look uncomfortable.
However, he is now on the comeback. We have learned a change in training camps has been the right call at this point in his career.
What's Next for Nelson?
How about a fight with another prospect pushed to the limelight quickly in Erick Silva. That is the type of matchup that could be Fight of the Night.
Both guys can strike and both guys can grapple well. It's an interesting stylistic matchup.
What's Next for Story?
There are two guys on two different paths in their careers that would be suitable for Story at this point: Ryan LaFlare and Jordan Mein.
LaFlare is an up-and-comer who is looking to jump to the next level. It would be either sink or swim against Story, though LaFlare could have a good chance.
As for Mein, he is gunning toward the top 10, especially with his recent performances. A bout with an American wrestler would really show us where he is.
