Written by Penny Buffington
Brian Stann current UFC fighter and former WEC light heavyweight title holder drops down to the middleweight class and is prepared to fight Mike Massenzio UFC Live Sun, Aug 1 on Versus. The main event of the night will be Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko. Vladimir will be a guest on MMA2DAY for an exclusive pre-fight interview the day of the event. Details at: http://pennyjomma.com/
Stann a recent guest on MM2DAY 7/25- seems happy with his decision to drop weight. He told MMA2DAY, “This is going to be my first time. It is a more natural weight for me. I started to cut in April actually. There is a little bit of a shrinking process, just to try and get myself a little bit smaller. But my last fight at 205, I woke up and at weigh-ins I was already a half a pound under so I didn’t even have to cut any weight. This really doesn’t work well for me when most of the guy’s game plans are to take me down and hold me down. I need to be the bigger stronger guy, more difficult to take down and more difficult to hold down, so that I can go ahead and impose my will with strikes.”
Brian is well known for his former service in the military. He explained how he continues his service, “I spent 9 years in the Military; the Naval Academy and Marine Corps. Although I am not active duty now I still stay pretty involved with the military and I run a charity called Hire Heroes USA which is a nonprofit organization which helps veterans transition between workforce and finding a job.”
“We have a 3 phase program where we work with the veteran on helping them with their resume writing skills, their interviewing skills, strategic planning to find the right job, or the right employer and what they want to do. We try to help them find and job and move them on into the next phase of their life.” The website is http://www.hireheroesusa.org/
“I think it is impossible to focus 100% of my time on fighting. I think it would be a mistake if I did. No fighter does, trust me. I don’t care how hard they say they train. There are only so many hours they can actually physically train. I’d say 90% of the fighters are off playing video games most the day. Between practices they aren’t doing a lot of constructive things with their time. For me I’m just a busy body. I’m training 2, 3, 4 times a day and between those sessions I’m running this organization and doing other things. My mind needs to be occupied and it’s a good thing for me to have that relief and to have something else besides fighting because I think when a fighter only has that it actually becomes too stressful for him. They over think the fight and they fight a little bit more stiff then they should.”
Brian “All American” Stann says well known coach from Jacksons MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico has no worries when it comes to training him. “My coach Greg Jackson always laughs about, I am the last guy he has to worry about being late to practice, or not showing up for a workout. His main concern with me is usually that I am going to do too much. I think that the Marine Corps certainly gave me a lot of skills and a lot of things that I will carry over into every facet of my life.”
Brian does not seem too concerned with Mike Massenzio 11 - 3 – 0 fight stats. “I’ve been able to watch all the footage I could get on him. It’s pretty much the same style on every fight. He is a world class wrestler. He uses those skills. He likes to get on top of guys and beat them up a little bit. Maybe, an occasional arm lock here or there. But it’s going to be his ability to take me down, my ability to stop the takedown, my ability to work from my back and get up, my ability to reverse position and get top control.”
MMA2DAY airs Sunday night’s 7-9 pm eastern time on WSBR Radio 740 S. Florida or live on the internet. Info at: http://pennyjomma.com/
