Brian Stann to fight in Ultimate Fighter 10 finale
November 23rd, 2009 | After Action Iraq Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
Brian Stann, a former Marine captain who earned the Silver Star while commanding a platoon in Iraq, will fight Rodney Wallace on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas. (BrianStann.com photo)
Three months after disposing of nemesis Steve Cantwell to earn his first UFC victory, former Marine Brian Stann will fight again in the Ultimate Fighter 10 finale on Dec. 5. Stann, 7-2 overall in mixed martial arts, faces Rodney Wallace, who will be making his UFC debut.
A powerful puncher who thrives on his standup game, Stann fights in the 205 pound light heavyweight division, by far the UFC’s most competitive and star-studded. Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Chuck Lidell and Rampage Jackson have all held the 205 title in recent years, and challengers like Mauricio Rua add to the deep talent pool that Stann will have to overcome if he’s to be successful.
Stann got off to a rough start in the UFC, losing his debut fight to Krzysztof Soszynski by way of a first-round submission in April. But Stann bounced back strong against Cantwell in September, in a fight that was the rubber match between the two. Stann won their first meeting by KO, but Cantwell roughed up Stann up in their second fight in the now-defunct WEC light heavyweight division. Stann showed that he’s a true contender by brushing off that loss and the loss to Soszynski and won a unanimous decision over Cantwell for his first UFC win.
As many know, Stann’s greatest accomplishment came outside the octogon. His actions during a May 2005 battle in Iraq earned him a Silver Star, the Corps’ third-highest honor for valor. You can read more about Stann’s heroism on the Military Times Hall of Valor.
Speaking of The Ultimate Fighter…
Poor Darrill Schoonover. Teased relentlessly for his, um, man boobs by Rampage Jackson on TUF, Schoonover has apparently been recalled to active duty in the Army, according to an MMA blog. I hadn’t even realized that Schoonover was an Army vet; it’s not something he talks about on the show. But Schoonover served four years on active duty and has been in the reserve for the last two years, according to his UFC bio. Don’t worry; this isn’t a TUF spoiler. The report says Schoonover is due to report after the Dec. 5 show finale, so he’s still in contention for the six-figure UFC contract.
Schoonver will face former NFL player Marcus “The Darkness” Jones in his quarterfinal matchup. I like Schoonver for standing up to Rampage’s petty trash talking, but I don’t like this matchup. For anyone. Jones is my pick to win it all this season. He’s just too big and powerful, and has enough strength and ground skills to survive getting taken down by one of the show’s wrestlers.
Looking for some relaxation? Try Iraq
October 22nd, 2009 | Army Iraq Marine Corps Soccer | Posted by Phil Ewing
"Soccer Warriors" of the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry blew off some steam in Kirkuk Province in 2008 // Staff Sgt. Ave Pele-Sizelove/ Air Force
Is your normal job taking up the time you could be using to practice your penalty kicks? Are you working so much at your assignment in the U.S. that you can’t learn new jujitsu moves? Well break out of that rut and get yourself to the world’s new sportsman’s paradise — Iraq!
Iraq is so placid these days that American troops stationed there have plenty of time to just cool out, according to this story in USA Today. Rather than loading up the vehicles and going out to crush some skulls, today’s forces sound like college freshmen taking eight credit hours this semester because they “felt like they needed some time to themselves.” They’re playing soccer, taking martial-arts classes, starting book clubs and doing karaoke.
(Although, a caution: Karaoke in the war zone can be haunting and poignant, rather than drunken and hilarious.)
For as much as U.S. troops enjoy not being in constant peril, they didn’t join up so they could debate Baudelaire at Balad:
Many troops express relief at the diminished threat of injury or death. Yet some say they have struggled with depression because they don’t feel like they are doing enough. Others say they are frustrated by the sense they’re being underutilized — particularly at a time when their comrades in Afghanistan are struggling to beat back the Taliban.
“It’s been hard to get used to how much things have changed,” says Army Staff Sgt. Wayne Kersh, 31, of St. George, Utah, who is on his third deployment in Iraq. “During the other tours, we were always going. You went on patrol, you ate, you slept, and then you did it again. You never had to think about keeping a soldier occupied.”
Then again, at least they’re on dry land… try being stuck on a ship for six months.