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By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist The third bout of the main televised portion of the card is an example of why Joe Silva is perhaps the most valuable resource of the UFC, as this is a perfect example of a competitive matchup which makes sense for both fighters, the promotion itself and the fans. Stann and Soszynski are notable names by virtue of experience as well as exposure, and their need to win this bout is equaled by their skill sets which compliment each other nicely and should make for a competitive bout. Stann is making his UFC debut and Soszynski will be fighting in his second bout for the promotion, and both are poised to make a legitimate run at becoming a contender in the ultra competitive light heavyweight division. Both men have much to prove, and a win on Saturday night will be a huge step in the right direction for the victor.
Krzysztof Soszynski is considerably more known for his time spent on ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir,’ but he is a veteran of the sport as the 31 yr. old was a member of the Los Angeles Anacondas of the now-defunct International Fight League (IFL). He also fought on the inaugural Strikeforce card when he met Mike Kyle on the undercard of the Shamrock vs. Gracie supershow in March of 2006. Soszynski is currently a member of the vaunted Team Quest and trains under current ‘TUF’ coach and MMA superstar, Dan Henderson, in Temecula, California. "The Polish Experiment" is a very experienced fighter who is hoping to one day become known for his successes inside of the UFC Octagon, and not just for his penchant for practical jokes as was exhibited on ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ Krzysztof loves to laugh but he takes this sport seriously, and a victory over Stann at UFC 97 would go a long way towards making everyone realize that he is indeed no joke at all.
Soszynski has faced the likes of Matt Horwich, Ben Rothwell, Mike Whitehead and Reese Andy over the course of his twenty-five fight career, but he lost to each of them and twice to Rothwell. Soszynski does not hold victories over any necessarily notable names, but he is currently riding a four fight win streak and has consistently gotten better with each outing of his career. He does have 16 wins to go with his 8 losses, and half of his victories have come by way of submission. He has one draw on his record which came against Mike Kyle at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie due to an inadvertent thumb to the eye which rendered him unable to continue. His most recent victory was over Shane Primm when he forced Primm to submit to a particularly nasty kimura at the ‘TUF’ finale in December, and he took home "Submission of the Night" honors to go along with a nice bonus for his efforts. Soszynski is a solid grappler who doesn’t mind standing and striking, but his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is his strong suit and he is a very underrated threat on the ground.
Brian Stann is a WEC veteran who once held the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship, and he is now attempting to make a go of it in the UFC since that weight class was dissolved by the promotion due to a choice to focus on the lighter weights and even introduce a flyweight division. Before he made a career out of MMA he was a captain in the United States Marine Corps. Too often we hear fighters spout off hyperbole which seems to suggest that MMA fights are life or death and that their career means everything in the world, but what Stann did in his previous professional life serves to put all of that in perspective to say the least.
Stann was awarded the "Silver Star" for valor when, during his first tour of Iraq, he was involved in a bloody, weeklong battle north of Karabilah to seize a bridge used by insurgents. His platoon was outgunned and under heavy fire, but persevered; and under then-2nd Lt. Stann in command were able to hold their ground. Of the forty-two Marines in Stann’s platoon, eight were seriously wounded, but none died; and for his efforts it was Stann receiving the nation’s third highest award for showing valor in combat: the Silver Star. Stann chose to leave the Corps when his contract expired in May of 2008 in order to care for his wife and young daughter, but also to focus on his professional fighting career.
Brian Stann has only fought seven times in his MMA career, but he has only lost once, and along the way held the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship which he wrested from Doug Marshall at WEC 33. His victory over Marshall gave him the Championship and also capped off a six fight winning streak, in which he won all six by way of KO in the very first round. One of those he took care of in less than a round was current UFC prospect Steve Cantwell, but in their second meeting at WEC 35 it was Cantwell who gave Stann his first loss and became the new and final WEC Light Heavyweight Champion. Both men are now fighting for the UFC, and if both can win their respective bouts on this card it is conceivable that they could meet for a third time down the road.
Stann has never backed down from a challenge, and would surely welcome the chance to avenge his only loss, but he must first achieve victory over Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 97. One thing that is certain is that Stann has faced larger obstacles in his life than Soszynski, and did so with gusto as a Marine; he must now do the same as a member of another elite organization in the UFC.
Bent’s Prediction: Krzysztof Soszynski by way of 1st Round Submission
This is a significant bout in that both men have a ton to prove, but stylistically this is a matchup which heavily favors Soszynski. Stann is still basically a boxer, and at this point we still are unaware if he has any takedown defense and this I feel is one category in which he will be greatly tested early on. I can see the two men standing and trading early on, but it would not behoove Soszynski to get into a slugfest and that simply is not his nature, so I see this one hitting the ground soon after the first blows have landed. Soszynski’s submissions are just going to be too much for Stann at this point, and should result in an early victory for "The Polish Experiment."
No one should count Brian Stann out, and this one will not be particularly easy for Soszynski due to the fact that Stann is a game opponent who brings some thunder with his punching power. Anything can happen once punches are thrown and Stann lands a few, but if Soszynski can weather the early storm and get this one on the ground it should be academic from there.
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