We've all read Brian Stann's story a trillion times, but The Washington Post doing a story on it is big news. Here's the opening paragraph, which will make you either roll your eyes or smile depending on how many times you've read it:
Before each fight, Brian Stann walks into the cage knowing that whatever happens, nothing will compare to the hell he survived in Iraq.
The point though is that Brian Stann is going to be a gigantic superstar in this sport if he is brought up in the right way (and if he doesn't die in Iraq). The appeal of his story is so obvious, a war hero and a knockout artist combines two things that will always sell in America. Personally, I think Brian Stann is the real reason they want to move the heavier weight classes over to the UFC. Even in the UFC, he will get Roger Huerta-esque treatment early with easy fighters to finish, but they know that the money potential of a match like Brian Stann vs. Chuck Liddell once Stann's story is more widely-known is absolutely through the roof.
I suspect Brian Stann is going to be a huge name in this sport in the next few years. It'll start once the 205 guys move over to the UFC. From there, it'll be a question of whether they can get him into a great camp full-time, and how much he can improve in a short period of time.
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