Brian Stann gets back in the octagon Sunday at UFC on Versus 2. The former Marine — a genuine warrior who earned the Silver Star for his actions as a platoon commander in Iraq — is making his debut in the 185-pound weight class against Mike Massenzio.
Stann moved to middleweight after losing his last light heavyweight fight to wrestling specialist Phil Davis. In that fight, Davis was able to get on top of Stann early and neutralize his striking game en route to a unanimous decision win.
Since then, Stann has dropped a weightclass and gone back to work at the camp of renowned trainer Greg Jackson. Stann trained alongside folks like UFC up-and-comer Jon Jones, who will likely destroy Vladimir Matyushenko in Monday’s main event. In this interview with Fight Magazine, Stann says he focused on his ground game with Jackson, and has improved to the point where he’s not worried about getting taken down by an opponent. Let’s hope that’s the case, because Massenzio also has a strong wrestling background.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=009eaBAR-4Q[/youtube]