Rick Story Beats Johny Hendricks at Ultimate Fighter Finale

In a close, hard-fought decision at Saturday's Ultimate Fighter Finale, Rick Story extended his winning streak to five by beating Johny Hendricks by unanimous decision.

"I was trying to land strikes as he was coming in, and I think that was the difference," Story said.

The first round was very close on the feet, and a late Hendricks takedown might have been enough to tip the balance and earn him a 10-9 score on the judges' cards.

---

---

At the start of the second round it was Story who got into the advantageous position on the ground, and a minute into the second round Story had Hendricks' back on the ground. Hendricks, however, stayed poised, pulled free and got back to his feet. But Story got a second takedown with a minute to got in the second round, and that one might have been enough to give him the round by a 10-9 score.

At the start of the third it was more of the same for Story, taking Hendricks to the ground and getting on top once again. But Hendricks, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Oklahoma State, finally started to use that wrestling skill and began to control Story, holding him against the fence and preventing him from doing much of anything for most of the third round.

The loss was the first of Hendricks' career; he now drops to 9-1. Story improves to 12-3.