UFC on Versus 4 Results: Charlie Brenneman Plays Spoiler, Derails Rick Story

Charlie Brenneman

Rick Story wasted no time in stepping up to a challenge when the UFC came calling.  Story jumped at the opportunity to face Nate Marquardt in the main event of UFC on Versus 4.  A winner of six fights in a row that included notable victories over Dustin Hazelett, Johny Hendricks, and Thiago Alves, Story was poised to move one step closer to title contention. A win over a quality opponent like Nate Marquardt could have been his springboard.

Unfortunately, Marquardt was not medically cleared to fight for his welterweight debut.  Charlie Brenneman was secured as a last-second replacement.  Originally scheduled to fight on the same card, Brenneman’s opponent TJ Grant pulled out due to illness.  “The Spaniard” easily obliged at the opportunity to face Story in a featured bout.

Little did Story know that Brenneman was fully prepared to play the role of spoiler.

The two fighters engaged in grappling oriented action early on with both fighters looking for and reversing takedowns. Brenneman was able to trip Story down halfway in the first and controlled him for the remainder of the round.

Brenneman took Story down early in the second, but Story eventually scrambled back to his feet after a couple of submission attempts.  Surprisingly, Brenneman was able to take Story down again with a single-leg shortly after.  Finishing out the round strong with top control, the hometown fighter clearly had two rounds in his favor and was on the verge of pulling off a big upset.

With a sense of urgency, Story came out aggressive in the third, but was put on his back again with another single-leg takedown.  Story transitioned into a Kimura attempt and was working his positioning when the referee made a questionable decision to stand the fighters up.  Another scramble saw Story in full mount, but Brenneman was able to survive and reverse positioning to finish out the round in what was a technical grappling match.

After three rounds, the judges declared Charlie Brenneman the winner.  The fans cheered for their local fighter who took a tough fight on short notice.

“I knew that from day one.  We have big names here like Koscheck and Hendricks, I put it together the best inside the Octagon,” commented Brenneman when asked if his wrestling was the key factor to his victory.

Charlie Brenneman seized an opportunity and earned the biggest win of his career.  “The Spaniard” put himself on the map in the flourishing welterweight division.  For Rick Story, the loss took away a lot of his momentum.