Brian Stann Tweets

Brian Stann (born September 24, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization, after first competing for the UFC's sister promotion World Extreme Cagefighting. He is a former WEC Light Heavyweight champion.

Stann was born at Yokota Air Base in Japan and grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Scranton Preparatory School and then matriculated to the United States Naval Academy in 2003. He played football for the Midshipmen at the position of middle linebacker during his time at the Naval Academy. Upon graduation, he was assigned as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, and has since risen to the rank of Captain.

On November 8, 2005, Stann and his command, the 2nd Mobile Assault Platoon, were ambushed by Iraqi insurgents while trying to secure a bridge near Karabilah. Stann and his men held out for six days under heavy attacks while Stann coordinated air and tank support that eventually allowed them to be relieved on November 14, 2005. Out of forty-two men in Stann's platoon, all survived, and Stann was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor in combat. This mission was shown on the episode, "Iraq's Most Wanted" on the History Channel show, Shootout!, in which Brain Stann was interviewed. He left active duty in the Marine Corps as of May 2008.

On March 26, 2008 Stann defeated Doug Marshall 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 he lost his first title defense in a rematch against Steve Cantwell.

In 2008, Zuffa announced plans to shut down the WEC's 185-lb and 205-lb weight classes, and bring all of those fighters to the UFC by 2009, leaving the WEC to concentrate on lighter weight classes.

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 sustained a foot injury and was forced to withdraw from the card. He now plans to fight fellow light-heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 97 in Montreal, Canada, on April 18.

Marine Corps officials say they continue to use Stann's story as a recruiting tool, and he attributes his success to the MMA foundation he learned fighting at the Corps' Martial Arts Center for Excellence in Quantico, Va. "He has been an ideal spokesperson and role model," said Lt. Col. Mike Zeliff, assistant chief of staff for advertising with Marine Corps Recruiting Command.