Brian Stann
Brian Stann | |
---|---|
Jackson's Submission Fighting | |
Rank | 3rd Degree Black Belt in MCMAP Purple Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
Years active | 2006 – 2013 |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 18 |
Wins | 12 |
By knockout | 9 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 2 |
Losses | 6 |
By knockout | 2 |
By submission | 2 |
By decision | 2 |
Other information | |
Website | http://www.brianstann.com/ |
Mixed martial arts record from Battle of Al Qaim | |
Other work | Professional Mixed martial artist |
Last updated on: October 11, 2011 |
Brian Michael Stann (born September 24, 1980) is an American former
Background

Stann was born at Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo, Japan, and grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Scranton Preparatory School and subsequently enrolled in the United States Naval Academy in 1999 (Class of 2003). While at the Naval Academy, he played football for the Midshipmen as a middle linebacker.[3] Upon graduation, he was assigned as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, eventually achieving the rank of captain.[4]
On May 8, 2005, then-lieutenant Stann was assigned to the
U.S. Marine Corps officials have stated that they continue to use Stann's story as a recruiting tool. He attributes his success in mixed martial arts to the foundation he learned while training at the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center for Excellence in Quantico, Virginia and the explosiveness and powerlifting exercises he learned while playing football. "He has been an ideal spokesperson and role model" for the Marine Corps, said Lt. Col. Mike Zeliff, assistant chief of staff for advertising with Marine Corps Recruiting Command.[7]
Mixed martial arts career
Stann began his fighting career in 2006 while still serving on active duty, using accumulated leave to take time off for training and fights.[8]
World Extreme Cagefighting
On March 26, 2008, Stann defeated
In August 2008, Stann lost his title in his first defense, in a rematch against Steve Cantwell (a loss he avenged a year later).[9]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In 2008, Zuffa announced plans to merge the WEC's 185-lb and 205-lb weight classes with their UFC counterparts, allowing the WEC to concentrate on lighter weight classes (which eventually merged with the UFC as well).[10]
Stann was scheduled to make his UFC debut on December 10, 2008, at the
On September 16, 2009, at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard, Stann once again faced Steve Cantwell in a rubber match. Stann would go on to defeat Cantwell via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28). This would also be the first time he would fight to a decision in his professional career.
Stann defeated UFC newcomer
Stann then faced UFC newcomer Phil Davis on February 6, 2010, at UFC 109,[13] losing via unanimous decision. Following the fight, Stann revealed he would drop to the 185 lbs. Middleweight division.
Stann then made his middleweight debut against
Stann then fought in the co-main event of UFC 125 on New Years Day. He defeated Chris Leben with a first-round TKO stoppage. With this win, he became the second man to defeat Leben by way of strikes, the first being former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.
Stann was scheduled to face former
Stann then fought Chael Sonnen on October 8, 2011, at UFC 136[17] where he was defeated via second round submission.
Stann faced Alessio Sakara on April 14, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva.[18] After knocking down Sakara early with knees from the clinch, Stann utilized heavy ground-and-pound, delivering short elbows and hammerfists that eventually knocked Sakara out. Stann was awarded the victory at 2:26 of the first round. After Stann delivered the knockout blow, he sat up and motioned to the ref that Sakara was out, rather than delivering unnecessary (and potentially damaging) blows before the ref could jump in and stop the fight. Stann's actions were highly praised by both the media and fighters, with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones being quoted as saying that Brian Stann's actions were "good for the sport." UFC president Dana White also issued his praise for Stann's actions in the cage, calling him "one of the classiest people on Earth!".[19]
Stann was expected to face
Stann next faced Michael Bisping on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152, losing by unanimous decision.[22]
On March 3, 2013, at
On a special edition of Ariel Helwani's MMA Hour on July 11, 2013, Stann announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition.[27] Upon retiring, Stann became an analyst and commentator for Fox Sports and UFC.[28] In August 2017, Stann announced that he would be leaving his job with Fox and UFC to become a real estate executive.[29]
Professional Fighters League
In May 2018, ESPN reported that Stann accepted the advisory role as the head of Fighter and Competition/Rules Committee in the advisory board of Professional Fighters League (PFL), formally known as World Series of Fighting, where PFL would launch its inaugural season on July 7, 2018, airing on NBC Sports. Stann's main responsibility in the role would be influencing PFL on tournaments management, treatment and recruitment of the fighters. As per the report, Stann did not anticipate this new opportunity with PFL prior to leaving his commentary position with Fox Sports and the UFC.[30]
Personal life
Stann is married. He and his wife Michelle along with their five daughters currently reside in Milton, Georgia.[31] For nine years, Stann was president and CEO of Hire Heroes USA, a nonprofit organization that helps U.S. military veterans. Until August 2021 he was the Chief Operating Officer at FirstKey Homes (a Cerberus Capital Management portfolio company) and is currently CEO of Hunt Military Communities.[32]
In the fall of 2010, Stann published his memoir "Heart for the Fight: A Marine Hero's Journey from the Battlefields of Iraq to Mixed Martial Arts Champion" (Zenith Press). Written with military historian John R. Bruning, "Heart for the Fight" details Stann's experiences as a youth growing up in Scranton, PA, playing football for the U.S. Naval Academy, serving as a decorated Marine in Iraq, and becoming WEC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- World Extreme Cagefighting
- WEC Light Heavyweight Championship(One time)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Mike Massenzio, Jorge Santiago and Wanderlei Silva
- UFC.com Awards
- 2009: Ranked #8 Upset of the Year vs. Steve Cantwell[33]
- 2011: Ranked #6 Upset of the Year vs. Chris Leben[34]
- 2013: Ranked #2 Fight of the Year vs. Wanderlei Silva[35]
- MMAFighting.com
- 2013 Best Fight of the Half-Year vs. Wanderlei Silva[36]
- CombatPress.com
- 2015 Broadcast Analyst of the Year[37]
United States military
- Awards and decorations of the United States military
Mixed martial arts record
18 matches | 12 wins | 6 losses |
By knockout | 9 | 2 |
By submission | 1 | 2 |
By decision | 2 | 2 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 12–6 | Wanderlei Silva | KO (punches) | UFC on Fuel TV: Silva vs. Stann | March 3, 2013 | 2 | 4:08 | Saitama , Japan
|
Light Heavyweight bout. Fight of the Night. |
Loss | 12–5 | Michael Bisping | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 152 | September 22, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
Win | 12–4 | Alessio Sakara | KO (punches) | UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva | April 14, 2012 | 1 | 2:26 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
Loss | 11–4 | Chael Sonnen | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC 136 | October 8, 2011 | 2 | 3:51 | Houston, Texas , U.S.
|
|
Win | 11–3 | Jorge Santiago | TKO (punches) | UFC 130 | May 28, 2011 | 2 | 4:29 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
Fight of the Night. |
Win | 10–3 | Chris Leben | TKO (knee and punches) | UFC 125 | January 1, 2011 | 1 | 3:37 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
|
Win | 9–3 | Mike Massenzio | Submission (triangle choke) | UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko | August 1, 2010 | 3 | 3:10 | San Diego, California , U.S.
|
Middleweight debut. Fight of the Night. |
Loss | 8–3 | Phil Davis | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 109 | February 6, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
|
Win | 8–2 | Rodney Wallace | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale
|
December 5, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
|
Win | 7–2 | Steve Cantwell | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard | September 16, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , U.S.
|
|
Loss | 6–2 | Krzysztof Soszynski | Submission (kimura) | UFC 97 | April 18, 2009 | 1 | 3:53 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
Loss | 6–1 | Steve Cantwell | TKO (punches) | WEC 35: Condit vs. Miura | August 3, 2008 | 2 | 4:01 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
Lost the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship.
|
Win | 6–0 | Doug Marshall | TKO (punches) | WEC 33: Marshall vs. Stann | March 26, 2008 | 1 | 1:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
Won the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship.
|
Win | 5–0 | Jeremiah Billington | TKO (punches) | WEC 30 | September 5, 2007 | 1 | 3:07 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
|
Win | 4–0 | Craig Zellner | TKO (punches) | WEC 28 | June 3, 2007 | 1 | 4:57 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
|
Win | 3–0 | Steve Cantwell | TKO (punches) | WEC 26: Condit vs. Alessio | March 24, 2007 | 1 | 0:41 | Las Vegas, Nevada , U.S.
|
|
Win | 2–0 | Miguel Cosio | TKO (punches) | WEC 21: Tapout | June 15, 2006 | 1 | 0:16 | Highland, California, U.S. | |
Win | 1–0 | Aaron Stark | TKO (punches) | SF 14: Resolution | January 6, 2006 | 1 | 3:14 | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
References
- ^ Martin, Damon. "Brian Stann might just be the best commentator in MMA today". Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ MMAWeekly.com Staff (July 10, 2013). "Brian Stann Expands Broadcast Career from UFC to Include Fox Football Coverage - Yahoo Sports". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ^ "biography". Brianstann.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ 2nd Marine Division Public Affairs. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune: United States Marine Corps. Archived from the originalon March 5, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
- DefenseLink. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
- ^ "Former Marine captain is ready for UFC debut". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ Zillgitt, Jeff (March 26, 2008). "Marine aims to add WEC title to Silver Star". USA Today. Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
- ^ "Brian Stann". MMA on Tap. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "WEC SHUTS DOWN 205 & 185-POUND WEIGHT CLASSES". MMAWeekly.com. September 26, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- ^ "View Topic". Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2008.
- ^ "UFC newcomer Rodney Wallace meets Brian Stann at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
- ^ "Phil Davis vs. Brian Stann added to UFC 109". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Brian Stann vs. Mike Massenzio In The Works For UFC On Versus 2". heavy.com. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
- ^ "Wanderlei Silva Returns Against Brian Stann at UFC 130". fifthround.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ "Jorge Santiago's UFC deal official, meets Brian Stann at UFC 130". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ^ "Middleweights Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann targeted for UFC 136 in Houston". mmajunkie.com. July 6, 2011. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011.
- ^ "Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara slated for UFC on FUEL TV 2 in Sweden". mmajunkie.com. January 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012.
- ^ "Brian Stann knocks out Alessio Sakara then stops fight : Sports". Primal Habits. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann targeted for UFC on FOX 4 in Los Angeles". mmajunkie.com. April 29, 2012. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012.
- ^ Helwani, Ariel (June 6, 2012). "Brian Stann Out of UFC on FOX 4 Main Event". mmafighting.com.
- ^ Mrosko, Gene (July 14, 2012). "Michael Bisping vs Brian Stann booked for UFC 152 on Sept. 22 in Toronto". mmamania.com.
- ^ Martin, Damon (December 12, 2012). "Brian Stann vs. Wanderlei Silva Headlines UFC on Fuel 8". mmaweekly.com.
- ^ "UFC on FUEL TV 8 headliner Brian Stann says 205-pound bout a onetime thing". mmajunkie.com. December 13, 2012.
- ^ "UFC on Fuel TV 8 results recap: Wanderlei Silva vs Brian Stann fight review and analysis". mmamania.com. March 3, 2013.
- ^ John Morgan (March 3, 2013). "'Heartbroken' Brian Stann admits over-aggression led to UFC on FUEL TV 8 loss". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013.
- ^ Matt Erickson (July 11, 2013). "UFC middleweight Brian Stann retires from MMA to focus on broadcasting, family". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2013.
- ^ "Brian Stann Commentates UFC 163 With Joe Rogan Out". MMAmania.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- ^ "Brian Stann announces departure from UFC commentary position". MMAjunkie. August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- ^ "Retired Stann accepts advisory role with PFL". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ "Brian Stann: A Future Star in MMA? - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog". Sports.aol.com. Retrieved November 5, 2013."Stann going for KO victory Saturday night against Wallace". The Times and the Democrat.com. December 3, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
- ^ [1] Hunt Military Communities website. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (December 18, 2009). "Ten Best – The Upsets of 2009". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (January 4, 2012). "Ten Best - 2011 Upset of the Year". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (January 6, 2014). "Ten Best: The Fights of 2013". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (June 27, 2013). "Fight of the Half-Year: Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann". Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ "Combat Press 2015 MMA Awards: Broadcast Analyst of the Year – Brian Stann". Combat Press. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
External links
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.