Brian Michael Stann (born September 24, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist and U.S. Marine who competed in the middleweight and light Heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He also competed in the light heavyweight division of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he is a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was also a color commentator for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship and ACC football games on Fox Sports Net.
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. Upon graduation, he was assigned as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, eventually achieving the rank of captain.
On May 8, 2005, then-lieutenant Stann was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, commanding the 2nd Mobile Assault Platoon. During the Operation Matador (which took place during the Battle of Al-Qa'im), his unit was ambushed by insurgents while trying to secure the Ramana Bridge, near Karabilah. Stann and his unit held out for six days, under heavy attack, while coordinating air and tank support that eventually allowed them to be relieved on May 14, 2005. All 42 Marines in Stann's platoon survived. The following March, Stann was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor in combat. Part of the citation reads: "Second Lieutenant Stann personally directed two casualty operations, three vehicle recovery operations and multiple close air support missions under enemy small arms, machine gun and mortar fire in his 360-degree fight." This mission was shown on the episode, "Iraq's Most Wanted" on the History Channel show, Shootout!, in which Stann was interviewed. His actions were noted by President George W. Bush during one of his speeches. He left active duty in the Marine Corps as of May 2008. Stann was also the commanding officer in the 8th Marine Regiment Headquarters Company while continuing to fight in the WEC.
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.
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.
World Extreme Cagefighting
On March 26, 2008, Stann defeated Doug Marshall via KO to become the WEC Light Heavyweight champion. With this victory, Stann's MMA record reached 6–0, with five victories in the WEC.
In August 2008, Stann lost his title in his first defense, in a rematch against Steve Cantwell (a loss he avenged a year later).
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).
Stann was scheduled to make his UFC debut on December 10, 2008, at the UFC: Fight For The Troops show, to be held at the Army base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, but he was forced to withdraw from the card due to a foot injury sustained in training. Instead, he faced Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 97 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18, 2009. In the first round, Soszynski locked Stann in a kimura, forcing him to tap out for the first time in his career. Stann later stated in an issue of UFC Magazine that, because of previous military commitments, he was unable to adequately prepare himself for the "grappling-based" aspects of the fight, which contributed to his loss.
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 Rodney Wallace on December 5, 2009, at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale by unanimous decision.