News of their August 4 bout has been confirmed by the UFC.

Lombard, also the former/reigning Bellator middleweight champ, has won 24 of his last 25 fights with the lone exception being a Draw in 2007. Equally impressive, he holds an overall record of 31-2-1, stopping 24 of the opponents he’s beaten including his last four.

While Stann’s success may not be as impressive on the surface, the heavy-handed veteran is certainly a threat to end Lombard’s twenty-fight winning streak, going 4-1 since dropping to middleweight with success against a handful of apt adversaries such as Chris Leben, Jorge Santiago, and most recently Alessio Sakara.

UFC on FOX 4 is scheduled for Los Angeles with the only other announced match-up involving a lightweight tilt between Joe Lauzon and Terry Etim.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The performance improved Stann’s record to 4-1 since dropping down to middleweight and helped erase the taste of a submission loss in his previous outing. The 31-year old offered up his reaction on the successful showing in an interview with Fuel TV after the show’s conclusion where he walked fans through the finishing sequence.

“I hit him behind the ear once and I could hear him say something Italian so I was pretty sure he was ready to stop the fight. Hit him with a couple of elbows and that was it,” explained Stann, stating the outcome mirrored his gameplan for the most part.

“It always feels great to get a win,” Stann continued. “At this level people don’t understand how hard it is to win consecutive fights. There’s so much chance involved in this game and I’m just glad I was able to put together a camp at home different from what I’m used to and come back out with a good win.”

The 12-4 Stann trained in his hometown rather than New Mexico at Greg Jackson’s gym for the first time in years, opting to stay close to his family after the untimely death of his brother-in-law this past December.

Check out the full interview below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 31-year old recently revealed exactly how human he is in a blog for FoxSports where Stann explained that the unexpected death of his brother-in-law a few days before Christmas left him shook. It also instilled a new sense of appreciation in him for the gifts he’s been given, the physical kind of which he’ll employ next month as part of the lineup for UFC on Fuel 2.

“People lose sight of the fact that life continues when us guys are caught up in the isolation of training camp. Try as we might to focus purely on the fight, you can’t ignore what life is going to throw at you along the way. My wife and I never expected such a tragedy to unfold just before Christmas, but it just goes to show that mixed martial arts is a sport, nothing more, and that family will always conquer all, as far as I’m concerned,” wrote Stann in his latest entry. “Something like this only helps to remind me just why I fight. I am responsible for supporting my family, both emotionally and financially, and Mixed Martial Arts is the way in which I am able to do this. They need my help at a time like this and, thankfully, the UFC has given me an opportunity to provide for them.”

As a means of supporting his wife and mother-in-law, who lives with them, Stann decided to hold his camp in the area he hails from rather than traveling to New Mexico to work with Greg Jackson as he normally would. A credit to the team, Jackson and company have still been there to help Stann along the way, reviewing tape while sending pointers and planning to corner him at next month’s event.

“It also really put the notion of loss into perspective for me,” Stann elaborated on the untimely passing. “My last professional loss, to Chael Sonnen in October, wasn’t a testing time at all, in retrospect. That was just a defeat. I lost a fight. What could have gone wrong, did go wrong. That was all. Nobody got hurt and there was no irreparable damage.”

“Unlike the Sonnen loss, the death of my brother-in-law was a genuinely trying situation,” he continued. “I remember the moment I heard the news like it was only yesterday. We were in baggage claim when I got the call. It was our first time home in Pennsylvania, where we planned to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our families. I had to tell my wife the news as we landed in Pennsylvania. There is nothing worse than watching the woman you love be completely devastated and heartbroken by a piece of news you’ve delivered to her. It was one of the lowest points of my life.”

As foreign as the last few months may have felt to Stann, that doesn’t mean opponent Alessio Sakara should expect a beaten individual to step inside the Octagon. Rather, Stann is as motivated as he’s ever been and poised to honor the memory of his beloved family member.

“A lot of people would use a tragedy like this as a potential excuse if they were then unable to perform to their best come fight night. But I can assure everybody reading this, as well as my opponent, Alessio Sakara, that I will be more than ready come April 14. There will be nothing else in the world that I would rather do on that night than step into the Octagon and fight,” Stann explained. “Adversity is always what truly defines people, and last Christmas was the most testing time for my family — for me, my wife, my kids and everybody else. It was as tough a situation as any of us have experienced. In my mind, this fight on April 14 will go some way to memorializing Louie and showing once again that adversity can be overcome with a strong family and positive outlook. In light of everything that’s happened, I’ve never in my life been more determined and motivated to win a fight. This is the absolute worst time to fight me right now.”

With a new fire burning inside and limitless potential it appears a new Stann will display his desire and skill-set in Sweden, a frightening prospect for all of his middleweight peers.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

On this week’s episode of Ultimate Insider, the 31-year old spoke in detail about what unfolded in Iraq during Operation Matador while actual video from the scene played. Stann was also joined by fellow Marine Robert Gass who was injured in the attack and directly impacted by Stann’s actions.

“After war, after seeing the things I’ve seen and going through the things I go through, you just realize there’s so much in life you don’t understand,” explained Stann before delving into the footage/story. “There’s so many thing you don’t have control over and there’s nothing you can take for granted – not a single day, not a single minute, not one relationship.”

Even though all 42 of the soldiers under his control came out alive, to this day Stann still thinks about what he could have done differently to avoid the situation as well as the suffering his fellow soldiers have endured as a result of his command.

“People always want to ask me about it, they want me to talk about, and beat my chest like I was Superman out there, like I saved the day and that’s why I got a medal on my chest,” said Stann of the situation. “It’s interesting because I don’t hang any of those medals in my house. I don’t even know where they are. I lose sleep at night, every day of my life, thinking about those men who were wounded that time. If I’d have gone right instead of going left, if I’d have gone this direction, if I’d have come at this time, if I’d have used this air support…what could I have done…because ultimately it was my responsibility. It was my decisions that put those men in the places where they got hurt.”

Stann’s next appearance inside the Octagon is set for April 14 at UFC on Fuel 2 where he’ll face Alessio Sakara.

Watch the incredible interview below, arguably one of the best pieces of production the UFC has created to date:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Stann’s issue with Bisping stems from comments the Brit recently made regarding the former Marine’s ability, criticizing his performance against Chael Sonnen when the two faced off in October.

“He called me a ‘white belt’ and said that I was ‘exposed’ so I’d love to see him put his money where his mouth is,” explained Stann in an interview with ESNewsReporting. “We can fight and we can solve that.”

As far as how he’d approach Bisping in a fight, Stann kept it simple, replying, “I wouldn’t try to do anything but walk straight through him with a right hand.”

Bisping has remained relatively quiet since losing a hard-fought decision to Sonnen in late January. The defeat snapped his string of four consecutive wins.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Last week, Stann provided insightful commentary at UFC on Fuel: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger, taking over a chair that has been occupied by the likes of light heavyweight title-holder Jon Jones and UFC Hall of Fame fighter Randy Couture before him.

Stann confirmed the news while making it known on his Twitter page how appreciative he was of MMA fans talking about his performance in front of the camera instead of inside the Octagon.

“Huge thanks to all the fans who have supported me after the FUEL broadcast,” Stann wrote. “Looks like I will be doing live FOX shows now. Power of the fans.”

Along with possible upcoming broadcasts, Stann will also be in action on the next Fuel TV card this April 14 against Alessio Sakara.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Stann-Sakara both watched three-fight winning streaks laid to waste in 2011 and will be coming off defeats when they meet up at the Ericsson Globe Arena.

News of the match-up was first reported by Swedish outlet MMANytt and has since been confirmed by MMAJunkie.

The fight will mark the first for Sakara in more than a year after injuries and illness kept him out for most of last year. His previous fight took place in March at UFC Live 3 where he was outpointed by Chris Weidman. Prior to the stumble the 15-8 Italian had beaten Joe Vedepo, Thales Leites, and James Irvin in consecutive clashes.

As many fans may recall, Stann was on the cusp of contendership after wins over Jorge Santiago, Mike Massenzio, and Chris Leben but ran into Chael Sonnen at UFC 136 where he suffered a second-round submission loss. Stann holds an overall record of 11-4 with eight TKOs.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

A former Marine, Stann shows no fear when he stands across from his opponent, a man who is looking to beat him into submission or stoppage. Having been put in tough situation and extreme circumstances during his time in the military, Stann describes a fight as, “a game of pick up basketball.”

In his latest blog for FoxSports.com, Stann says, “I’ve never feared a fighter or a fight, and have only ever been concerned with whether I was truly good enough to get to the places I want to reach in this great sport of mixed martial arts.” Against Sonnen, “All American” will get to test his skills against the man who gave UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva the toughest fight of his UFC career, coming within two minutes of capturing belt before falling victim to a triangle choke.

Undefeated in three middleweight bouts, Stann has been working a full-time job throughout his entire MMA career. That has changed while preparing for his showdown with Sonnen. “I’m no longer running out of the cage after practice to multiple conference calls and meetings. I’ve got people around me who can help me lead the charity organization that I run, Hire Heroes USA, which helps US veterans find employment after discharge, and I’ve stopped doing my corporate real estate job — and it’s been tremendous.”

Now spending all of his moments focusing on MMA, Stann says, “I now have more time to watch films of my opponent, do one-on-one sessions with my coaches, recover more, train more and just immerse myself in the lifestyle of a professional fighter. Rather than try and cram a 30-hour workday into 24 hours, I now enjoy a far more manageable schedule and I can really focus on being a professional athlete, preparing the right meals and living the right life.”

With his newfound time, Stann has found that spending all day in the gym might not be such a good thing for his body, saying, “My coaches get upset with me from time to time and are often trying to kick me out of the gym. I sometimes get into that dangerous cycle of getting tired and thinking it is best to train even harder, rather than allow my body to recover.”

When he steps into the cage on October 8, the former WEC light heavyweight champion won’t be looking as his battle with Sonnen as a matter of “life or death.” To him, “professional fighting is just an athletic competition. It is a game.” He continued with, “What’s the worst that can happen in a fight? You might get beaten, stopped, knocked out or submitted. I’ve been through all that already.”

While he promises no victory on Saturday, he does promise that, “I will fight to the absolute best of my ability — which is actually all we can control in there.

“We cannot control what our opponent does, only our own actions,” said Stann. “Stepping into the Octagon with doubts or concerns about the fight or your opponent will only hold you back and prevent you from being the best fighter you can be at that moment. It really isn’t about who the best fighter is, it is about who fights best in that moment. Knowing that keeps me focused on exactly what I need to do to win my fight.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

Brian Stann

Stann, though, found a way to balance serving his country with building an MMA career, and he worked his way up to becoming the World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion in 2008.

Now, Stann is set for his biggest fight inside the Octagon when he takes on Chael Sonnen October 8 at UFC 136. It has been reported that the winner of the bout will get the next crack at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Having seen the pain that war causes, the Jackson’s MMA fighter makes sure to make the most of every single day, including those that involve training as an MMA fighter.

“I will never, ever complain about training,” Stann recently wrote on his FoxSports blog. “I truly feel blessed to be able to make a living from this sport and to be in a position where I am able to train, learn and improve on a daily basis. For those very reasons, training is only a fun and enjoyable experience for me. Each day is new, different and exciting, and every session presents me with a platform upon which I can build for a better future.”

Stann entered the UFC after dropping his WEC title to Steve Cantwell. He lost to Krzysztof Soszynski in his debut, but rebounded to defeat Cantwell and Rodney Wallace. After a loss to Phil Davis, Stann decided to drop down to 185 pounds and he hasn’t looked back, winning three straight fights, including a pair of “Fight of the Night” honors.

Despite the fame and fortune, Stann has remained grounded, as he never forgets where he came from.

“Having worked regular jobs my whole life, believe me, it really is a privilege to be a professional athlete,” Stann said. “There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t pause to think just how lucky I am. As just a small cog in his mixed martial arts adventure, I have been allowed to go places, see things, feel things and spend time with people who I will value and remember for the rest of my life.

Now, he faces Sonnen, a man that pushed Silva to the brink before falling via submission in the fifth round of their title fight last year.

“On Octobe 8 at UFC 136, I will walk into the Octagon to face Chael Sonnen, the universally recognized #2 middleweight in the world,” Stann said, “and, yes, it’s fair to say I haven’t had to look far for inspiration or, indeed, motivation.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the fight was first reported by Heavy.com and has since been confirmed by the UFC.

Sonnen hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon since UFC 117, where he lost to middleweight king Anderson Silva by triangle choke in the fifth round after dominating the prior 23 minutes of the fight. Sonnen was scheduled to get an immediate rematch for the belt but was busted for performance enhancing drugs and was suspended indefinitely by the California State Athletic Commission after a lengthy set of hearings. Sonnen’s suspension in the state of California should not hinder his ability to get licensed in the state of Texas, which is one of the more laid back commissions in the country. Despite not competing since last August, Sonnen has stayed in the headlines via twitter, where he’s continued to trash talk “The Spider” and his teammate Lyoto Machida.

Stann isn’t likely to get caught up in Sonnen’s war of words as he prefers to do his talking inside the cage with his fists. Since dropping to middleweight in August 2010, Stann has posted victories over Mike Massenzio, Chris Leben, and Jorge Santiago to put him near the top of the division. A win over Sonnen could put him in line for a title shot early next year.

UFC 136 is scheduled for October 6 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Along with the event will be a two-day UFC Fan Expo.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The Memorial Day Weekend match-up was originally mentioned as a possibility in a report on HeavyMMA and has since been confirmed by UFC officials.

Stann has won back-to-back fights since dropping down from the light heavyweight division including the dubya over Leben as well as submission success against Mike Massenzio at “UFC Live on Versus 2”. He is 10-3 overall in his career with seven TKOs to his credit.

The date will mark Santiago’s return to the Octagon after a 1-2 stint in 2006. Since parting ways with the promotion the American Top Team fighter has gone 11-1 with victories over Jeremy Horn, Trevor Prangley, and Kazuo Misaki (X2). The 30-year old Brazilian has finished twenty-one of the twenty-three opponents he’s beaten with nine TKOs and twelve submission wins.

UFC 130 is current set for May 28 and will be headlined by the completion of Frank Edgar’s trilogy with Gray Maynard. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is also expected to throw down with Matt Hamill at the event in addition to former heavyweight champ Frank Mir taking on TUF 10 winner Roy Nelson.

News of the middleweights’ pairing initially came in an official UFC statement while MMAFighting was the first to report the match-up had been scrapped. Stann had requested to fight Silva after beating Chris Leben at UFC 125.

However, while Silva and Stann may not be fighting at the event, UFC 130 still appears to be an exceptionally strong card even though it is still months away. In addition to the conclusion of lightweight champ Frank Edgar’s trilogy with Gray Maynard, the May 28 show will also feature former 205-pound title-holder Quinton “Rampage” Jackson taking on resurgent Brazilian Thiago Silva and Frank Mir mixing it up with rival Roy Nelson.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

It now appears Stann’s dream may come true, as Dana White recently spoke to MMAFighting and explained the UFC is looking at putting the two middleweights together at some point in the next few months.

Silva has been out of action due to a knee injury since outpointing Michael Bisping a little less than a year ago at UFC 110. Ring-rust aside, the Brazilian still represents a serious threat for Stann. Though he is known for his friendly demeanor outside of the ring, “The Axe Murderer” is fearless on his feet and has a highlight reel featuring some of the sport’s most brutal knockouts. Twenty-five of his thirty-three wins have come by way of strikes including a pair of victories over former UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

If the bout takes place as expected it will represent the highest profile match-up of Stann’s career. His first-round flattening of Leben earlier this month was the decorated Marine’s second consecutive win since dropping to 185-pounds and improved his overall record to 10-3.

Lightweight champ Frank Edgar will defend his strap against the only individual to beat him, Gray Maynard, in the evening’s main event. Edgar lost a unanimous decision to Maynard in April 2008 before going on to win six straight bouts including two consecutive wins over former title-holder BJ Penn. Comparably, Maynard has won five fights in a row over a list of opponents featuring Nate Diaz, Roger Huerta, and most recently Ken Florian.

Also scheduled to see action on January 1st, 2011 in Las Vegas, Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson will settle their personal differences in the cage and help sort out the heavyweight contendership picture in the process. “Big Country” recently poked fun at Carwin’s alleged involvement in a steroid distribution ring with Carwin responding by taking verbal jabs at Nelson’s physique.

In addition to Edgar vs. Maynard II and Nelson vs. Carwin, the other “UFC 125 – Resolution” match-ups confirmed by the company are as follows:

Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera
Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann

Rodney Wallace has confirmed to FiveOuncesofPain.com that he had recently signed the contract to face off with the former WEC champion.

FiveOuncesofPain was the first to report the news of Rodney’s signing to the UFC back in mid-September.

Sporting an undefeated record of 9-0, Wallace most recently seized the attention of the UFC after a championship tournament performance during Vendetta Fighting Championships on September 5 where he racked up wins over Gregory Milliard, Aaron Stark and Antwaine Britt in one night, finishing the latter of the two by way of submission.

When asked his thoughts on Stann as a first opponent in the Octagon, Wallace had this to say, “He’s an athlete, but I think he has a lot of holes in his game. It will be what it is on that night. I definitely think he’s an athlete, and he has a lot of heart. Anyone could put a victory together with those attributes, and obviously he has on several different occasions, but now that we’re starting to get into the deep waters of guys that have really well rounded skills, so you have to bring more than just the athletics and a one-two to the table.”

Stann will be looking to make it two in a row following a hard fought unanimous decision victory over Steve Cantwell in a rubber match that occurred at “UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard”. Just prior to his most recent win Stann had suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of the previously mentioned Cantwell, and more recently Krzysztof Soszynski during UFC 97.

The TUF 10 Finale is set for The Pearl At The Palms in Las Vegas on December 5, and will air live on Spike TV.

Well according the MMA Junkie, that may not be the case. Sources close to Al-Hussan have informed them that he has accepted a bout versus Cantwell at “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops” and that they are waiting for Cantwell to accept the bout.

Both fighters will be making their UFC debuts with Al-Hussan having made a name for himself on regional shows in the Midwest, compiling a 5-0 record in professional MMA with three of his five victories coming via submission. 

Cantwell, who is 6-1 in MMA with his only loss coming to Brian Stann, is coming off an upset victory over Stann via secound round TKO in a rematch at WEC 35 this past August. In winning that fight, Cantwell won the WEC light heavyweight title from Stann. However, the title reign was short lived as WEC’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions are being slowly folded into the UFC. Cantwell and Stann were two of the first fighters to appear in the UFC from WEC’s ranks.

A victory for either fighter would go a long way toward cementing their place within the UFC and a win for Cantwell could possibly set up a tiebreaker fight with Brian Stann sometime in the near future.

Stann and Cantwell first clashed at WEC 26 in March of 2007 with Stann winning via TKO in just 41 seconds into round 1. Stann would go on to claim the WEC light heavyweight title and made his first defense against Cantwell at WEC 35 on August 3. This time around, it was Cantwell who got the win, becoming the new champ following a second round TKO.

No word on a possible replacement for Stann is known at this time.

The show, which will be broadcast on Spike TV, will be a fundraiser for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides financial support to deceased and wounded U.S. military veterans.

Expect fireworks as the first time these two locked horns (at WEC 26), Stann TKO’d Cantwell in 41 seconds. Stann is 8-0 with all fights ending by TKO or KO, none leaving the first round.

Look for Ranger Up in Brian Stann’s corner and on his fight shorts Sunday night.

Now we have final confirmation from Felix Martinez, the promoter himself:

It is with deep regret that I have to announce the cancellation of Cage Fury’s October 12th event. I did everything in my power to make this show happen for the fighters and the fans. However, I could not overcome the loss of a major investor for this show who decided to pull out at the last moment. With the loss of this investor, I cannot proceed with another first class event. It has always been my intention to provide the best combative sport entertainment that I could. I am very sorry for having to cancel this event and sincerely apologize to all the fighters, the fans, and our dedicated staff.

Felix Martinez, President, Cage Fury Fighting Championships

Just great. I was really looking forward to this card, too. I was looking forward to seeing how far Kimbo Slice had come since his last fight and how he would stack up against better competition. Not that Tank Abbott is top competition, but he’s a far cry above Ray Mercer when it comes to MMA. I was also looking forward to seeing Duke Roufus’ debut as well as seeing Ricardo Almeida make his way back into MMA.

Definitely a sad day for all the Kimbo marks like myself. Oh well, let’s hope EliteXC or Strikeforce picks him up. He would be perfect for one of these organizations.