Thiago Alves faces Rick Story at UFC 130
After defeating Johny Hendricks in December 2010, Rick Story boldly asked for a step up in competition: he wanted to fight Thiago Alves, the third ranked welterweight in the world. At UFC 130 in Las Vegas May 28, Story will get his wish.
Alves is a -210 favorite and Story is a +165 underdog in MMA Betting.
Alves, 18-7 in his career, has 11 knockouts using his mix of Muay Tai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu styles. His quick-strike capability has made him one of the more dangerous fighters in his division. Alves beat John Howard in his last fight at UFC 124, but had lost his previous two bouts, including a title shot against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100.
For Story, his desire to fight Alves was simple: Alves represents his toughest test yet in his UFC career. Story, whose strength is wrestling, has a 12-3 career record and will head into his fight with Alves on a five-fight winning streak. Story has been on a quest to prove he’s as good as the top competition in his division, including names like Jon Fitch, Alves, St-Pierre and B.J. Penn.
In order to defeat Alves, who is known for his training habits, Story will have to give Alves as little space as possible to avoid the punishing quick strikes that Alves is known for. Story also will have to work to get Alves on the ground as Alves is really strong at takedown defenses.