UFC vet Rick Story announces he has signed with PFL

Rick Story is no longer on hiatus, nor is he under the UFC banner.

The longtime welterweight announced Monday on "The MMA Hour" he's ended a layoff dating back to August 2016 and has signed with the Professional Fighters League. His promotional debut has not yet been booked, although the outfit is soon expected to unveil the details of its first event in June.

Story had fielded an offer to re-up with the UFC prior to his last fight, but ultimately opted to gamble on himself. The move backfired, as he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Donald Cerrone that snapped a three-fight win streak in what proved his final promotional bout at UFC 202.

The 33-year-old pursued firefighting while waiting for an offer during the 19-month layoff. He went 12-7 in the Octagon, picking up victories over Johny Hendricks, Thiago Alves, Gunnar Nelson, and Tarec Saffiedine over his seven-year stint, and will now join the PFL's welterweight tournament later this year with a professional record of 19-9.