WEC light heavyweight Stann questions Marshall’s mental game

When I initially met WEC light heavyweight title contender Brian Stann a few weeks back I thought he’d be a great fighter to be feature for the “Bring the Pain” interview series where I highlight fighters that I think have a big future ahead of them. But the more I talked to Stann, the more I realized his story needed to be told on a big stage.

There are a lot of things to like about Brian Stann. In addition to serving our (well, I guess it isn’t our country if you’re not in the U.S. and you’re reading this) country as a member of the United States Marine Corps, he also has an appreciation for the mental aspect of fighting. I know a lot of you think I make too big of a deal about the mental game but it’s the most overlooked aspect of fighting.

Stann focuses on his mental preparation and believes he’ll have an edge in that department when he eventually faces current WEC light heavyweight champion Doug “Rhino” Marshall.

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.

Another thing I like about Stann is that he’s also from PA. Scranton to be exact. The first fighter to be featured in “Bring the Pain” was EliteXC’s Jon Murphy, who is from Minersville, PA.

I definitely think you should check out my new interview with him on CBSSports.com. We talk about a number of things, including the war in Iraq. Stann has done two tours over there and was even awarded a Silver Star. Needless to say, my interview with him wasn’t your average MMA Q&A.

Stann will be in action on Wednesday night when the WEC hits the airwaves again on Versus, live from Vegas at 9 p.m. ET. To get some more background on him, I highly suggest you read my interview with him by clicking here.