thedrifter
09-05-07, 08:37 AM
Five Ounces of Pain: Q&A with WEC light heavyweight Brian Stann
Sep. 4, 2007
By Sam Caplan
Special to CBSSports.com
Few fighters in mixed martial arts have a background more intriguing than that of Brian Stann.
Stann, an undefeated light heavyweight (4-0) who competes for World Extreme Cagefighting, is a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and has already completed two tours in Iraq. The 26-year-old was awarded a Silver Star in 2005 following a mission while deployed in Iraq.
During the mission, Stann and his regiment were pushing north of the Euphrates River with the purpose of clearing an area of insurgents. While trying to secure a bridge that would close off an escape route for the enemy, Stann and his troops came under repeated attack. Nine of his men were wounded as he and his troops tried to maintain control of the bridge. All of the injured Marines were able to be medically evacuated and the regiment didn't suffer any deaths during the mission.
While still on active duty as a company commander at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Stann also has his sights set on the WEC light heavyweight title. With a win Wednesday night against Jeremiah Billington (9-1) on a WEC card that will be televised live from Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET, Versus), Stann will move one step closer to a light heavyweight title shot against current champion Doug "Rhino" Marshall.
In addition to being an active Marine and one of the brightest prospects in MMA's light heavyweight class, Stann is also married and soon to be a father. He somehow managed to take time recently to discuss life in the Marines as well as his upcoming clash with Billington.
CBS Sports.com: So you're in the military, you're a husband, and a soon-to-be father. How the hell do you find time to train MMA?
Brian Stann: (Laughs) It's tough. It really is. I train early in the morning when I go to work. I go to work after I do my strength and conditioning so I start off around 5 a.m. and then work a full day anywhere from 10 to 14 hours and then once I'm finished I go my training at night. I usually get home anywhere from 8:30 at night to 9:30 at night, sometimes 10 o'clock. I have a real understanding wife and she understands that I do a lot of this for the benefit of the family. But I try to keep my weekends as free as I can if I'm not doing traveling or appearances.
Q: Is there a chance you could be redeployed?
BS: Yeah, there is. Right now they kind of rotate us on schedule or you're in a deploying unit for a certain amount of years and they kind of rotate you out of a deploying unit for a certain amount of years. I'm kind of being rotated out after having done my three years rotating out to Iraq. But I can still go if I chose to or if I get selected to be an individual augment to possible training teams that interact with the army.
Q: On the nightly news Americans are greeted by very grim and depressing news as it relates to our involvement in Iraq. Do you feel what's on the news is an accurate representation of what's been taking place?
BS: No, I don't. I can't say and make a sweeping statement where it's never accurate. Obviously, violence is definitely a part of what goes on there but I do feel that the news -- obviously, the violence is what sells and it makes them watch the television screen. That's what people want to see, or at least stay on the channel to watch what's been put on the news.
But I don't feel that they put enough of the positives that are going on out there. Certainly when I came home to see the stories that were written about my battalion and everything we did, all I saw was the violence. I never saw anything about how we turned over 70 percent of our battle space to the Iraqi army (or) how much improved the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police forces have become.
I think the news could definitely concentrate on some more positive notes to give people a more accurate description of what's going on instead of just focusing on just one small violent act that happened that day.
Q: There was a recent story on 60 Minutes talking about difficulties U.S. troops are having in identifying enemy combatants. Can you talk about the rules of engagement that have been set forth and are U.S. troops being put at risk because the Pentagon is trying to employ politically correct tactics?
BS: (Laughs) That's a good question, man. You know, I will speak on one part. It is tough to identify enemy combatants out there. It's very hard because you're in their country and they're insurgents; this isn't another military that you're fighting so they're not wearing uniforms. They're going to dress like normal civilians so they can blend into the populous. And they do. They schedule their attacks during busy times of the day so that they can blend in easily with society. And they know our rules of engagement; that we can't just mass our firepower on them because of the collateral damage.
The rules of engagement that we have over there are necessary because our job -- if we kill civilians by accident while trying to kill the enemy, we're actually creating more insurgents is what happens. The more violence we inflict on the innocent civilians the more insurgents we create and the more people that are going to oppress what we're trying to establish there, which is democracy.
So the rules of engagement are necessary but it is difficult to find and locate enemy combatants. But the good thing is now in my experience where as we work more with the Iraqi army, they're taking over a lot more of the missions and taking on more of the danger in their own country, which is what they should do. And really, the violence in the two different areas I went to when I was in Iraq, the violence had gone down so much that really all that's really going on in those areas is the building of schools and just trying to get the government in place.
Q: There have been some rumors that you might join Team Quest in the future.
BS: Absolutely. I went and trained with those guys for this fight (vs. Billington) and we really meshed well. And for a 205-pound fighter they have a gym full of guys at that weight who, if they're not a world class champion fighter like Dan Henderson or Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, then they're a world class Olympic wrestler so you can't beat that. And really, their team is such a family and there's a lot of integrity and character. They really place a lot of values on that part of mixed martial arts so I really enjoyed it.
Q: How soon do you anticipate becoming a full-time member of Team Quest?
BS: I hope to do it by next spring.
Q: What's it like training with those guys, especially Dan Henderson and Mayhem Miller?
BS: It was great. Mayhem, is he as wacky as he is during interviews and on TV? Absolutely. But I'll tell you, when it comes to training he is 100 percent serious. He's a great teammate. He's the kind of guy who wants to share so much with you as far as critiques. He goes hard so it was a great opportunity for me.
With Dan, Dan's kind of like the leader of the pack there. He's just a phenomenal athlete, a phenomenal fighter. Obviously he works extremely hard and that's why he holds two titles and that's why I'm pretty sure he's going to be holding a third here, shortly.
Q: I've heard some stories about Mayhem's driving skills.
BS: Maybe after fights I'll drive with him but I think it was a mistake. It was kind of funny, one of the head coaches that they have at Team Quest, Dr. (Ryan) Parsons, said the same thing. He said, "Are you sure you want to get in the car with him?" I didn't think anything of it but after about four or five red lights that he ran, stop signs that he ignored, and people that he yelled at, I started to realize why it's more like a roller coaster ride rather than a car ride.
Q: I know that you've received some e-mails from people knocking you and making the claim that you haven't fought top competition yet. However, you made your pro debut against Aaron Stark of the IFL on a card in Oregon put on by Matt Lindland. Why'd you take such a tough first fight in such a high-pressure atmosphere?
BS: At the time I had no pro fights and I had a lot of trouble getting anyone to book me. I didn't have an agent (and) I didn't come from a team, whatsoever. I was basically training out of a gym on a Marine Corps base and I had just returned from Iraq so I felt like "Hey, I at least deserve a shot." It took some convincing and finally someone got injured and they asked me if I'd fight this guy (Riley) on short notice and I said "Absolutely."
It doesn't matter who it is; I have nothing to fear whatsoever. There's nothing in this sport that's going to scare me and I was really excited for the fight and I went out and actually won a pretty convincing fight in the first round.
Q: I also had heard that you lost money on the whole experience.
BS: (Laughs) Oh yeah, I lost money on that deal. I had to pay for my own flight and everything so yeah, I lost money on the deal but it was well worth it in the end because Matt Lindland and Sportfighting gave me that shot, and that was what opened the door for my WEC contract.
Q: You're 3-0 now since entering the WEC. Has the WEC given you any indication as to how long it will be until you fight for the light heavyweight title?
BS: Personally, I consider myself the No. 1 contender for the title right now. I don't care who is fighting in December for that belt but I think that once I win on Wednesday night that my next match will be for the title.
Q: How do you think you match up with current WEC light heavyweight champion Doug "Rhino" Marshall?
BS: I think I match up great against him. He likes to slug it out and slugging it out and going toe-to-toe is not the way to beat me. I'm all about it if that's what he wants to do. I feel comfortable going anywhere the fight can go: ground, transition, or standup with him. So I think I match up well with him.
Q: What do you think is the biggest weakness in his game right now?
BS: I think the mental side of the game. I don't think that he's as mentally strong as I am to stick to a game plan and overcome adversity in the cage.
In addition to being a special contributor to CBSSports.com, Sam Caplan is the editor of FiveOuncesOfPain.com and a contributing writer for UFCjunkie.com. He can be reached via e-mail at SCaplan8@comcast.net
Ellie
Sep. 4, 2007
By Sam Caplan
Special to CBSSports.com
Few fighters in mixed martial arts have a background more intriguing than that of Brian Stann.
Stann, an undefeated light heavyweight (4-0) who competes for World Extreme Cagefighting, is a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and has already completed two tours in Iraq. The 26-year-old was awarded a Silver Star in 2005 following a mission while deployed in Iraq.
During the mission, Stann and his regiment were pushing north of the Euphrates River with the purpose of clearing an area of insurgents. While trying to secure a bridge that would close off an escape route for the enemy, Stann and his troops came under repeated attack. Nine of his men were wounded as he and his troops tried to maintain control of the bridge. All of the injured Marines were able to be medically evacuated and the regiment didn't suffer any deaths during the mission.
While still on active duty as a company commander at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Stann also has his sights set on the WEC light heavyweight title. With a win Wednesday night against Jeremiah Billington (9-1) on a WEC card that will be televised live from Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET, Versus), Stann will move one step closer to a light heavyweight title shot against current champion Doug "Rhino" Marshall.
In addition to being an active Marine and one of the brightest prospects in MMA's light heavyweight class, Stann is also married and soon to be a father. He somehow managed to take time recently to discuss life in the Marines as well as his upcoming clash with Billington.
CBS Sports.com: So you're in the military, you're a husband, and a soon-to-be father. How the hell do you find time to train MMA?
Brian Stann: (Laughs) It's tough. It really is. I train early in the morning when I go to work. I go to work after I do my strength and conditioning so I start off around 5 a.m. and then work a full day anywhere from 10 to 14 hours and then once I'm finished I go my training at night. I usually get home anywhere from 8:30 at night to 9:30 at night, sometimes 10 o'clock. I have a real understanding wife and she understands that I do a lot of this for the benefit of the family. But I try to keep my weekends as free as I can if I'm not doing traveling or appearances.
Q: Is there a chance you could be redeployed?
BS: Yeah, there is. Right now they kind of rotate us on schedule or you're in a deploying unit for a certain amount of years and they kind of rotate you out of a deploying unit for a certain amount of years. I'm kind of being rotated out after having done my three years rotating out to Iraq. But I can still go if I chose to or if I get selected to be an individual augment to possible training teams that interact with the army.
Q: On the nightly news Americans are greeted by very grim and depressing news as it relates to our involvement in Iraq. Do you feel what's on the news is an accurate representation of what's been taking place?
BS: No, I don't. I can't say and make a sweeping statement where it's never accurate. Obviously, violence is definitely a part of what goes on there but I do feel that the news -- obviously, the violence is what sells and it makes them watch the television screen. That's what people want to see, or at least stay on the channel to watch what's been put on the news.
But I don't feel that they put enough of the positives that are going on out there. Certainly when I came home to see the stories that were written about my battalion and everything we did, all I saw was the violence. I never saw anything about how we turned over 70 percent of our battle space to the Iraqi army (or) how much improved the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police forces have become.
I think the news could definitely concentrate on some more positive notes to give people a more accurate description of what's going on instead of just focusing on just one small violent act that happened that day.
Q: There was a recent story on 60 Minutes talking about difficulties U.S. troops are having in identifying enemy combatants. Can you talk about the rules of engagement that have been set forth and are U.S. troops being put at risk because the Pentagon is trying to employ politically correct tactics?
BS: (Laughs) That's a good question, man. You know, I will speak on one part. It is tough to identify enemy combatants out there. It's very hard because you're in their country and they're insurgents; this isn't another military that you're fighting so they're not wearing uniforms. They're going to dress like normal civilians so they can blend into the populous. And they do. They schedule their attacks during busy times of the day so that they can blend in easily with society. And they know our rules of engagement; that we can't just mass our firepower on them because of the collateral damage.
The rules of engagement that we have over there are necessary because our job -- if we kill civilians by accident while trying to kill the enemy, we're actually creating more insurgents is what happens. The more violence we inflict on the innocent civilians the more insurgents we create and the more people that are going to oppress what we're trying to establish there, which is democracy.
So the rules of engagement are necessary but it is difficult to find and locate enemy combatants. But the good thing is now in my experience where as we work more with the Iraqi army, they're taking over a lot more of the missions and taking on more of the danger in their own country, which is what they should do. And really, the violence in the two different areas I went to when I was in Iraq, the violence had gone down so much that really all that's really going on in those areas is the building of schools and just trying to get the government in place.
Q: There have been some rumors that you might join Team Quest in the future.
BS: Absolutely. I went and trained with those guys for this fight (vs. Billington) and we really meshed well. And for a 205-pound fighter they have a gym full of guys at that weight who, if they're not a world class champion fighter like Dan Henderson or Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, then they're a world class Olympic wrestler so you can't beat that. And really, their team is such a family and there's a lot of integrity and character. They really place a lot of values on that part of mixed martial arts so I really enjoyed it.
Q: How soon do you anticipate becoming a full-time member of Team Quest?
BS: I hope to do it by next spring.
Q: What's it like training with those guys, especially Dan Henderson and Mayhem Miller?
BS: It was great. Mayhem, is he as wacky as he is during interviews and on TV? Absolutely. But I'll tell you, when it comes to training he is 100 percent serious. He's a great teammate. He's the kind of guy who wants to share so much with you as far as critiques. He goes hard so it was a great opportunity for me.
With Dan, Dan's kind of like the leader of the pack there. He's just a phenomenal athlete, a phenomenal fighter. Obviously he works extremely hard and that's why he holds two titles and that's why I'm pretty sure he's going to be holding a third here, shortly.
Q: I've heard some stories about Mayhem's driving skills.
BS: Maybe after fights I'll drive with him but I think it was a mistake. It was kind of funny, one of the head coaches that they have at Team Quest, Dr. (Ryan) Parsons, said the same thing. He said, "Are you sure you want to get in the car with him?" I didn't think anything of it but after about four or five red lights that he ran, stop signs that he ignored, and people that he yelled at, I started to realize why it's more like a roller coaster ride rather than a car ride.
Q: I know that you've received some e-mails from people knocking you and making the claim that you haven't fought top competition yet. However, you made your pro debut against Aaron Stark of the IFL on a card in Oregon put on by Matt Lindland. Why'd you take such a tough first fight in such a high-pressure atmosphere?
BS: At the time I had no pro fights and I had a lot of trouble getting anyone to book me. I didn't have an agent (and) I didn't come from a team, whatsoever. I was basically training out of a gym on a Marine Corps base and I had just returned from Iraq so I felt like "Hey, I at least deserve a shot." It took some convincing and finally someone got injured and they asked me if I'd fight this guy (Riley) on short notice and I said "Absolutely."
It doesn't matter who it is; I have nothing to fear whatsoever. There's nothing in this sport that's going to scare me and I was really excited for the fight and I went out and actually won a pretty convincing fight in the first round.
Q: I also had heard that you lost money on the whole experience.
BS: (Laughs) Oh yeah, I lost money on that deal. I had to pay for my own flight and everything so yeah, I lost money on the deal but it was well worth it in the end because Matt Lindland and Sportfighting gave me that shot, and that was what opened the door for my WEC contract.
Q: You're 3-0 now since entering the WEC. Has the WEC given you any indication as to how long it will be until you fight for the light heavyweight title?
BS: Personally, I consider myself the No. 1 contender for the title right now. I don't care who is fighting in December for that belt but I think that once I win on Wednesday night that my next match will be for the title.
Q: How do you think you match up with current WEC light heavyweight champion Doug "Rhino" Marshall?
BS: I think I match up great against him. He likes to slug it out and slugging it out and going toe-to-toe is not the way to beat me. I'm all about it if that's what he wants to do. I feel comfortable going anywhere the fight can go: ground, transition, or standup with him. So I think I match up well with him.
Q: What do you think is the biggest weakness in his game right now?
BS: I think the mental side of the game. I don't think that he's as mentally strong as I am to stick to a game plan and overcome adversity in the cage.
In addition to being a special contributor to CBSSports.com, Sam Caplan is the editor of FiveOuncesOfPain.com and a contributing writer for UFCjunkie.com. He can be reached via e-mail at SCaplan8@comcast.net
Ellie