UFC 139 Results: What's Next for Rick Story at Welterweight?

If the hype train wasn’t derailed before, it sure is now.

After a decidedly one-sided loss to Martin Kampmann at UFC 139 (that was somehow scored as a split decision), Rick Story is back to the drawing board in a big way with two straight losses and a possible UFC cut only a fight away.

This summer saw Story suffer a loss to Charlie Brenneman, perennial prelim fodder who has rarely done much to secure upward mobility in the division and will now be best remembered as another KO highlight for Anthony Johnson.

However, people wrote off that loss, claiming that Story took Brenneman on short notice, and it threw him for a loop. A viable explanation for sure, and one that the UFC attempted to confirm by giving him a step up in competition in Kampmann.

But no confirmation came.

Now, the MMA world is left wondering what’s next for him. Truthfully though, in a division as deep as welterweight, there are plenty of options.

Do you want to see if he’s still a contender? Someone like Jon Fitch (after he beats Johnny Hendricks), Josh Koscheck or Jake Ellenberger would do that.

Is he still a prospect? Matchups with Rory MacDonald or John Hathaway could shed some light on that for you.

Should he still be in the UFC at all? Check off any guy on the laundry list of gatekeepers at your disposal in the 170-lb class. Maybe Mike Pyle or Matt Brown (if he isn’t cut himself) could provide the test Story needs.

It’s a tough time for Rick Story, because he was pushed pretty far pretty fast, and he never lived up to the hype. However, he’s only 27 and has some good tools to work with.

How the UFC matches him up the next time out is likely to determine his future in the promotion and the sport though, so they need to do it wisely.