411 Fighter Profile: Brian Stann
Posted by Jonathan Solomon on 07.29.2008
After fighting in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, and now fighting opponents in the cage, Brian Stann is one name you will hear for a long time. The reigning WEC Light Heavyweight Champion makes his first title defense on August 3rd, against Steve Cantwell.
Association: United States Marine Corps Organizations: WEC (current), Sport Fight, King of the Ring, Combat Sport Accomplishments: Reigning WEC Light Heavyweight Champion
Introduction
Brian Stann's MMA career may not be as long as some of his competitors but the man has literally fought in wars as a United States Marine. In contrast, what happens inside a cage for 15-25 minutes may look like a day on the playground. He has been featured on cable news television, Howard Stern and other media outlets to highlight his heroic service as well as his cage fighting prowess. He has trained with Randy Couture and several others over the years to improve his skils in hopes of holding the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship for a long time.
Early Life
Brian Stann was born on September 24th, 1980 at Yakota Air Base in Japan. He grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania and was an athlete through his younger days, particulaly in football. He was accepted into the United States Naval Academy and then entered the United States Marine Corps in 2003. Stann was a Platoon leader during his first operation in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2005, during this operation, Stann and his men came under enemy attack. For about a week, they held the enemies off. All of Stann's men returned safely and he received the Silver Star, one of the highest award's handed out for military service. It was through the U.S. military that Stann trained in MMA. After he returned home, his MMA career with WEC began and his run to the top of the 205-division kicked off. Stann remained on active duty with the Marine Corps until May 2008.
Brian Stann played middle line backer for the Navy Midshipmen
Stann received the Silver Star from the United States Military
MMA Career
Win, Rich Ardlinger, TKO, round 1, 2:50 Combat Sport Challenge 2, Richmond, Virginia , 05.29.04 Win, Jay Sands, KO, round 1, 0:49 King of the Ring 10, Chesapeake, Virginia, 08.07.04 Win, Aaron Stark, TKO, round 1, 3:14 Sport Fight 14, Portland, Oregon, 01.06.06 Win, Miguel Cosio, TKO, round 1, 0:16 WEC 21, Highland, California, 06.15.06 Win, Steve Cantwell, TKO, round 1, 0:41 WEC 26, Las Vegas, Nevada, 03.24.07
Trading punches with Stann may not be the best strategy. Will Steve Cantwell have a new strategy in their upcoming fight?
Brian Stann fights Doug Marshall in his first championship fight. Similar to his previous fights, this one doesn't last long.
The Future
Brian Stann will make his first WEC Light Heavyweight Championship defense on August 3rd, 2008 in Las Vegas against Steve Cantwell. Since losing to Stann, Cantwell has defeated Justin McElfresh and Tim McKenzie to earn a title shot. Stann remains a dangerous threat on his feet. Cantwell has three submission victories to his record so he may attempt to take the fight to the ground. If Stann can win, he will remain one of the top names in the WEC behind Urijah Faber. With the rumors that Dana White and the UFC are considering moving the WEC's 205-pound division to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Stann could gain even more publicity for his success and have an endless amount of fresh opponents to fight. However, don't expect such a move any time soon. Regardless, Stann is an exciting fighter to watch and you will definitely be seeing a lot more of him, in and outside the cage in the future.
