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Martial arts has been a life saver for Mark “Super Samoan" Hunt.  Raised in South Auckland, New Zealand, Hunt says he was once a young man with a chip on his shoulder.  

"When you grow up with poor surroundings, poor people get angry. They get pissed off that they haven't got anything that everyone else has got. That's why I've got that chip I was talking about, people who don't have much get real upset.  And martial arts saved me; actually God helped me through martial arts, saved me from being an angry person. There are a lot of kids out there like that."  

Fighting has instilled discipline in Hunt, who takes on Stefan Struve this Saturday on UFC on FUEL TV 8 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.    

"It takes a lot of hard work to be a martial artist and train all the time, takes a lot of dedication. There are a lot of easier things I could've done in my life, but this is what I was supposed to be. It’s God's plan."  

A father of five, the 38-year-old Australia-based Hunt says one of his children may yet follow him into fighting.
 
"My youngest son loves fighting.  I'll support him in whatever he wants to do.  He loves fighting because I'm doing it. He's only five years old." 

Formerly a kickboxer and the 2001 K-1 Kickboxing World Grand Prix champion, then an MMA fighter in Japan's PRIDE FC, Hunt has seen spectacular highs and lows in the fight game, but he believes his long martial arts journey gives him a key advantage over Stefan Struve, who is aged just 25. 

"I've been fighting longer than he's been born, 26 years of martial arts and he's only 24 or 25 so I've got a lot more experience than he does. He's just got his youth, that's all."
 
Standing at 7 feet tall, Struve is the tallest fighter on the UFC roster. Struve is 9-3 in the UFC and on a four fight win streak. But the 5-10 Hunt doesn't see many threats from the Dutch fighter aside from his formidable height and reach. 

"He's a tall kid who's been blessed with being a big person.  He's good at jiu-jitsu but that's all it is.  I've got a lot more experience than he does." 

In 2011, Hunt staged an impressive career turnaround.  After a six fight losing streak, he scored a second round knockout over Chris Tuchscherer and a grueling decision victory over the favored Ben Rothwell.  In 2012, Hunt earned another upset victory with a first round TKO over veteran Cheick Kongo. His comeback even inspired a spirited Twitter campaign from fans rallying to get him a championship fight.  He didn't get a title shot, but with momentum on his side, he was scheduled to fight Struve in May of 2012.  Misfortune struck as Hunt suffered a knee injury and was forced to withdraw from the bout.  In his understated style, he admits being sidelined for so long has been difficult.  

"I'm looking forward to it (fighting again). It didn't really help with this injury, it just happened and it was just a setback for a while and it's hard to train with a leg injured like that. We’ll see how it goes in a couple of weeks.  Gonna party (laughs)."
 
While he has previously trained with American Top Team in Florida, this time he's prepared more locally. 

"I started off in New Zealand doing modified strongman work; now I'm back here (in Australia) training with the local guys, so it's pretty good." 

Hunt has worked with a 6-7 jiu-jitsu player to prepare for Struve.  It's a wise move given that the rangy Dutch fighter holds four UFC wins by submission.  Hunt, best known as a granite chinned knockout artist, has fallen prey to submissions in the past.
 
"I've trained with a tall guy for my jiu-jitsu, his name's Marco (Carlos Gracie black belt Marco Villela).” 

But when asked if he's found any tall sparring partners for the standup, Hunt replies with more of the candid humility he's become known for.  

"I had a little bit of training with a couple of boxers, a couple of kick fighters.  It hasn't been too great at all, but I get what I can get." 

This fight marks another return to Japan for Hunt, the country where he has fought for much of his career. And he recently enjoyed a stint on one of Japan's famously bizarre game shows, participating in a tug of war alongside Alistair Overeem and among other notable fighters.  Novelty factor aside, Hunt displayed some impressive strength as he beat a sumo wrestler, gigantic MMA fighter Bob Sapp, and a professional strongman to be crowned champion. 

"Yeah I loved doing that show; it's good for my popularity over there. Fighting is fighting, but it's all part of it, so it's great. They had a few other fighters there like Alistair (Overeem), Bob (Sapp), and it was great. I had a lot of fun."
 
While Hunt is once again the underdog against Struve, that's nothing new for the "Super Samoan," who was once the unheralded fighter from New Zealand who won the K-1 Grand Prix, then the PRIDE newcomer who beat legend Wanderlei Silva, and now the UFC fighter who is in the midst of an unlikely comeback. When asked about his status as underdog, Hunt cites a maxim from the standup game.
 
"It's good, I like it that way.  What you don't see coming hurts the most.  I don't mind being the underdog, it's fine."   
 

UFC President Dana White has called Yushin Okami the best Japanese fighter to ever compete in the Octagon, and with 12 wins in the promotion to his name, it’s hard to argue with his success in the UFC. But before Okami was fighting top level competition, challenging for world titles and securing a main card spot on Saturday’s UFC on FUEL TV 8 card against Hector Lombard, he was a fan like the rest of us, hoping to one day emulate the exploits of his countrymen.

“Yuki Kondo and Caol Uno were my favorite fighters in those days,” said Okami through translator Gen Isono when asked about his early years in the sport. “I loved how Yuki Kondo fought and how he looked, and I respected and still respect Caol Uno because we were on the same team and I knew how dedicated he was to this sport."

Kondo was one of the most underrated Japanese fighters to step into the Octagon, and though he once challenged Tito Ortiz for the 205-pound title in 2000, his impact was felt most keenly back home, both before and after his three fight stay in the promotion. Uno was the gold standard for fighters from the Land of the Rising Sun in the UFC for years, challenging twice for the lightweight title, losing a decision to Jens Pulver in 2001 and drawing with BJ Penn in 2003.

It was Okami who became the first to put it all together though, with his strength, ability to use the Octagon to his advantage, and fighting savvy serving him well consistently. Only four fighters have issued him a defeat in the UFC, and when those fighters are named Rich Franklin, Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, and Tim Boetsch, that’s pretty impressive. But ask him about White’s comment, and while he appreciates it, he has bigger goals in mind.

“I am very glad and honored to hear that, but my goal is to become the world’s best fighter, not to become the best Japanese fighter,” he said. “I am going to make it happen.”

And after his upset loss to Boetsch in the third round of a fight he was winning last February, Okami bounced back with a TKO of Buddy Roberts in August and a decision win over Alan Belcher in their December 2012 rematch, giving him some nice momentum heading into his first start of 2013 against Lombard.

“I feel proud that I have defeated top fighters in my division, and in 2013 I want to convince fans that Yushin Okami has the right to challenge the title again,” said the Kanagawa native, who will have home Octagon advantage against the Cuban powerhouse.

“There is no jet lag and no difficulty for my daily life here,” he said of fighting at home. “In that sense, of course some adjustments are easier here. I admit I had and have some different kinds of pressure because I want to live up to the expectations of my fans in Japan and the people who support me.”

Against Boetsch, he fell short of those expectations thanks to the furious comeback of “The Barbarian.” But in an odd 12 months for the division, one that saw top contenders Boetsch, Belcher, and Michael Bisping lose big fights, Lombard drop his UFC debut, and yet another top contender, Chris Weidman, get sidelined by injury, Okami’s defeat has not hurt his standing as much as it may have in any other year. In fact, with two straight wins already in the bank, a third could skyrocket him back up the 185-pound ranks. Yet “Thunder” admits to not looking at his peers defeats as a way for him to move forward.

“I did not pay attention to those fights in that way,” he said when asked about Bisping’s loss to Vitor Belfort and Boetsch’s defeat at the hands of Costa Philippou. “Of course I was interested in their fights very much and I believe that any fighter should be given an opportunity when he proves he has the right.”

Now it’s time for Okami to prove that he’s worthy of eventually securing a third fight with Silva, and he has to get by Lombard to do it.

“Quick hands and one punch KO power are combined in Hector Lombard,” he said. “That will be the most difficult part for me to handle when I fight him, and I am very careful about that point.”

It’s a good mindset to have, especially since Lombard is coming off a first round blitzing of Rousimar Palhares last December. But Okami hasn’t made it to this point in his career without being able to adapt to different styles, which is just one element of his success thus far. As for the other secrets, he simply says, “I am very grateful to the UFC and the people around me for giving me such huge opportunities, but I do not regard myself as being successful already. My goal is to go one step further.”

And maybe that’s the secret, a humility that keeps him pushing for more, despite already reaching a high level. At 31, he’s still in his physical prime, and in training with other partners, including Team Quest and Chael Sonnen, he’s keeping things fresh at a time when other fighters can get stale. And while the grind of being a professional athlete can be a rough one, leading him to hit his bookshelf for relaxation, he refuses to take off too much time from his day job.

“I believe that relaxing is very important, but I am a professional fighter and training is part of my job, so basically I do not want to be away from martial arts completely.”

It’s the “Thunder” way.
 
 

 

As far as insults go, this one was pretty bad if you ask UFC welterweight Siyar Bahadurzada. So as he prepares for his Saturday meeting with Dong Hyun Kim, the Afghanistan native has turned a business trip into something very personal.

“When the UFC offered him (Kim) the fight, he went out there and said ‘who is Siyar Bahadurzada, I don’t know him. I was expecting that the UFC would give me a better name or a higher profile fighter,’” said Bahadurzada about the roots of this growing feud. “What is he talking about? He says he doesn’t know me? How many guys put Paulo Thiago to sleep? I’m pretty sure when he analyzed his tapes he knew who I was. I think he’s scared of me, and that’s why he said that.”

Needless to say, the 28-year-old is a proud man, one who takes his craft seriously. He looks at mixed martial arts as a fight sport, but also something that has several layers of depth in terms of the ideas of respect, honor, and having a warrior’s spirit. So if you respect him, he will respect you right back. Case in point, Bahadurzada’s UFC debut last April against Brazil’s Paulo Thiago.

“When I fought Paulo Thiago, I knew he was a great fighter and I respected him because he was a warrior,” he said. “He’s a tough guy with a tough mentality, and he’s tough to break. He’s a Special Forces guy and I’ve seen movies of BOPE (the Special Forces unit of the Military Police in Brazil) – they go through a lot of extreme stuff, so I knew he was mentally tough, and I respected him for that as well. So going into that fight, I respected him a lot, and I still respect him for being a warrior. But Dong Hyun Kim, he fought ten fights in the UFC and there are still people asking me ‘hey, are you fighting ‘The Korean Zombie (Chan Sung Jung)?’ I’m not fighting him, I’m fighting the other boring guy. After ten fights in the UFC, there are still people who don’t know who this guy is, and that says something about him being a high-profile UFC fighter and how terrible he is. If I fight ten UFC fights, I will leave my footprints in the history of the UFC.”

Bahadurzada pauses before uttering the obvious.

“I don’t like this guy.”

It’s this passion for the game that has made Siyar “The Great” a popular figure in the Octagon after just one fight in his UFC career. Of course that one fight was a 42 second finish of Thiago that earned him Knockout of the Night honors, but with his statements before, during, and after his debut, along with his 20 previous wins and a current seven fight winning streak, he has the potential to make a lot of noise in the welterweight division in the coming years, even if that growth was stunted after the Thiago fight due to injury.

“2012 was a year with a great start and a bad ending,” said Bahadurzada. “I fought Paulo Thiago, I had a dream debut, having a Knockout of the Night bonus. Then I broke my hand, went to Holland, and nine weeks later my doctor said I had to get surgery and put a pin in my hand. So he had to re-break my hand and put a pin in it. But now my right hand has never been stronger. I just tore my first pair of gloves by hitting the mitts and the bags, and I’m really happy. It’s healing well, it’s stronger than before, and I’ve got surprises for Dong Hyun Kim.”

He also has a new camp, having left his home in the Netherlands to train with the Blackzilians camp in South Florida.

“The training is so good here with the Blackzilians that it didn’t even cross my mind not to move here,” said Bahadurzada. “Being in Holland is great, being among family and friends, but to achieve great things in life and greatness, you have to make big sacrifices. And right now I’m here in South Florida, totally alone and by myself with no distractions. I rest, train, eat, and sleep, that’s it. Sometimes on the weekend I’ll go with Alistair and friends to the beach or play poker at Alistair’s place, but that’s all I do. I’m motivated and I don’t let anything distract my mind. I just have one goal in front of me; I’m determined and I want to achieve my goals.”

That’s not to say it was easy leaving friends and family behind. It was difficult for him to make the move to the States, but as the saying goes, great sacrifices are necessary to achieve great rewards.

“I’m someone who loves family,” he said. “I have a very tight bond with my family, and my friends also. So leaving them behind was the biggest decision of my life so far, and it was a tough decision for me, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. I believe I’m destined for big things. I believe the work I put in and the sacrifices will pay off, and everybody will suffer who stands in the way.”

The first one in the way is South Korea’s Kim, winner of five of his last seven bouts, including victories over TJ Grant, Nate Diaz, and Thiago. He’s a physically strong presence who usually takes control of his foes as soon as he gets his hands on them. Bahadurzada insists that he will not be a pawn in Kim’s game.

“I will make him fight me,” he said. “He will not impose his will on me; that’s not gonna work. I will impose my will on him and I will make him pay for making my sport ugly. We need guys like ‘Showtime’ Pettis to make this sport more beautiful. We need guys like Anderson Silva to introduce this sport to the mainstream. But guys like Dong Hyun Kim, he makes the sport ugly. He stalls and controls people and doesn’t do damage. Why would you do that? It doesn’t make sense. If he fights like that, he will have 30 more UFC fights and he will never get a title shot because people don’t want to see a boring champion.”

If you haven’t noticed by now, Bahadurzada means business, and it’s probably a safe bet to say that if he does reach the top of the 170-pound division, he certainly won’t be boring. That quest to take the next step in his career now begins in earnest.

“2012 was a great start of turning heads and having people say ‘hey, who is this guy?’” he said. “In 2013 I will establish my name in the UFC and I will get close to a UFC belt. I don’t want to take the easy way to the belt. I know what I can do and I know what I want, and I want it the hard way. I want to win the respect of everyone. I want to fight the best wrestlers, I want to fight the best grapplers, and I want to fight the best strikers. And when I’m the champion, I want to be the kind of champion that everybody’s like ‘you know what, I’ll just wait until this guy retires and I’ll fight the other champion.’ I want to be a champion that nobody dares challenge, the most vicious UFC champion that’s ever been.”

The episode opens in the immediate aftermath of Bubba McDaniel’s loss to Kelvin Gastelum. Jon Jones tries to stay upbeat and assure Bubba that he’ll get that wildcard spot. He then shifts his focus to this week’s fight between Tor Troeng and Josh Samman and concedes that he really doesn’t know that much about the Swede. Coach Chael Sonnen believes that “Tor is a sleeper,” and he’ll surprise everyone.

Troeng vs. Samman Training
At a Team Sonnen training session, Luke Barnatt and Uriah Hall have a disagreement. Luke is upset with Uriah’s aggressiveness during drills and doesn’t appreciate his attitude. “He’s not a team player...he’s an ego-driven machine.” Uriah thinks that Luke didn’t show up to train that day, and was just being soft.

While Luke and Uriah argue, we learn more about the mysterious Swede. Growing up in countryside, Tor began training MMA when he was 16 years old. Back home he holds job at a university doing math research. Amazingly, he finds professional fighting more interesting. Chael calls Tor, “The most unassuming guy on our team.” Sonnen admits he has a lot of skill, but lacks a killer instinct at times.

Back at the house Josh Samman runs some extra training sessions in the backyard. Dylan Andrews says he avoids these additional sessions and Josh’s personality annoys him. Josh appears bossy and assumes he’s in a position to tell the guys what to do. Adam Cella doesn’t seem as critical of Samman’s actions, but shares an anecdote about how Josh couldn’t even let him cut an onion without trying to correct him.

After sharing tips on how to properly slice something of the Allium genus, Josh recounts an old leg injury. After the pain finally became too much for him, he went to the hospital. It was there he learned that he had torn his quad severely and was suffering from a blood clot that could possibly cost him his leg. Luckily, everything went according to plan. After the leg story, he goes though a series of humble brags about how he was always in gifted programs, but chooses to fight because it’s his “path to greatness.”

Uriah vs. Whoever
We return to the TUF house for more Team Sonnen drama. When discussing possible matchups for the next round, Uriah calls out teammate Luke. Luke is shocked that Uriah would say such a thing aloud (and in front of him). Kevin Casey doesn’t like how this will affect the team and hurt morale. Uriah doesn’t seem to have any remorse and warns us to be careful because supposed friends will turn their backs on you at any moment. Let’s just hope there aren’t any spare axes lying around the house because Uriah might turn into Jack Torrance by the end of the season.

Looking for friendlier territory, Uriah sits with Team Jones...and makes some more enemies. Showing his short fuse, Uriah makes an off-color remark about Adam Cella and his girlfriend and further alienates himself from the house. Collin Hart calls him a “loose cannon.” The next morning Bubba tries to talk with Uriah about it and doesn’t really get anywhere. Uriah tells us, “I’d rather talk with my fists,” and says he'll just go it alone.

What’s the best way to cut tension? That’s right, bowling! The entire crew heads to the Red Rock Casino and Resort for a night of 10-pin bowling and UFC fights. Chael Sonnen interrupts a Jon Jones interview and challenges him to a three-frame bowl-off. The loser has to train the next day in the opposing team’s jersey. Falling short by only two pins, Jon Jones will have to represent the Team Dark Side colors.

At weigh-in, Adam Cella delivers the best line of the episode by saying, “Josh is Josh’s biggest fan.” Luke has some more positive words for his teammate Tor and calls him a “silent killer.” As it leads up to fight day, Josh says that he’ll push the pace and that Tor can’t compete with his cardio.

Fight Time
Josh opens the first round with strong low kicks. He then rushes Tor and creates a tie-up. They battle inside the clinch and reverse positions a number of times. They briefly break, Tor lands a strong uppercut and they’re back in the tie-up. Josh attempts a judo throw, but Tor winds up on top and the Swede gets in a few strong punches. Josh is able to get Tor off balance with a sweep attempt and uses that opening to return to his feet. On the feet, Josh lands a big knee to the body that forces Tor to break the clinch. Josh doesn’t let him recover, though. He lands a body kick and follows through with a crisp 1-2 combo and earns the first-round TKO.

There are a variety of reactions to the Josh’s win. Jon Jones praises Josh for taking control right away, and Chael Sonnen criticizes Tor for lacking a sense of urgency. Josh tells us, “I’m very happy with myself.” Shocking, right? He also proclaims himself the #1 seed in the house with his performance. On the confessional cam, Uriah Hall finally shows his more diplomatic side by saying, “Josh is like that guy in a movie that you see and you just want him to get his ass kicked.”

As we ponder that statement, Coach Jones makes the next fight announcement: Clint Hester vs. Jimmy Quinlan. Chael is completely confused by the pick and says that it couldn’t be a worse stylistic matchup for Team Jones' Clint.

We end on that note as we see a sneak peek into next week’s episode. Why is Josh Samman in the emergency room? Has Jon Jones made another tactical error? What happens when you unleash the TUF cast into a Hooters? Find out this and more next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

Team Sonnen (3-2)
Luke Barnatt (1-0, TKO win over Gilbert Smith in episode 2)
Uriah Hall (1-0, KOd Adam Cella in episode 3)
Zak Cummings
Tor Troeng (0-1, TKOd by Josh Samman in episode 6(
Jimmy Quinlan
Kevin Casey (0-1, lost a UD to Collin Hart in episode 4)
Kelvin Gastelum (1-0, submitted Bubba McDaniel in episode 5)

Team Jones (2-3)
Clint Hester
Josh Samman (1-0, TKO win over Tor Troeng in episode 6)
Bubba McDaniel (0-1, submitted by Kelvin Gastelum in episode 5)
Gilbert Smith (0-1, TKOd by Luke Barnatt in episode 2)
Collin Hart (1-0, defeated Kevin Casey by UD in episode 4)
Adam Cella (0-1, KOd by Uriah Hall in episode 3)

Wanderlei Silva will someday be remembered as one of the best fighters in the history of the sport. Fans who have only seen him compete in the UFC will never quite appreciate how truly great this guy once was.

Here is a little taste:

•    22 total wins
•    20 consecutive fights without a loss
•    18 consecutive wins
•    15 knockouts in PRIDE
•    4 successful defenses of the PRIDE 205-pound championship
•    First man to win both a Grand Prix and a championship belt in PRIDE

Each of those is a PRIDE Fighting Championships record that will never be broken because the Japanese promotion was shut down several years ago.

Silva is no longer the same guy who once ruled the Land of the Rising Sun as “The Axe Murderer.” At 36 years old and with tons and tons of fistic miles on his back, he is nearing the end of his illustrious career. We know that because he has dropped seven of his last 10 bouts.

Yet, he remains a seriously dangerous opponent. Just ask Cung Le. Silva savagely knocked him out two fights ago, and in his last bout against Rich Franklin last June, he nearly knocked Franklin out before losing a decision. Another win like the one against Le and Silva will likely continue competing. If he loses his second fight in a row, I have a feeling that the curtain will come down on one of the most exciting careers in the history of the sport.

Brian Stann, by contrast, is still trying to figure out whether there is more upside in a career that hasn’t quite reached the upper echelon of the sport. He is one of the best middleweights in the world as well as a former WEC light heavyweight champion returning to 205 pounds for this bout. He has a nice list of conquered opponents. But he hasn’t yet scored that one marquee win that has either earned him a title shot or cemented him as a headlining attraction.

Stann is 6-4 in his last 10. Like Silva, he is coming off a loss. But unlike Silva, he is only a win or two away from putting himself back in the title picture. A loss to Silva would basically eliminate him from title contention for the foreseeable future.

Yes sir, there is a lot on the line on Saturday night.

The one advantage that Stann has in this fight is he knows exactly how Silva will approach the bout. The legend only knows how to fight one way—berserker style.

Silva stalks the vast majority of the time. Every now and then, he will circle and retreat as he tries to bait an opponent into coming forward. Either way, he has only one goal in mind—violence.

“The Axe Murderer” completely eschews the jab in favor of crazy, winging hooks solely designed to bring the fight to an instant end. He throws those shots in bunches. Actually, a better description would be whirling dervish. Both arms move as fast and as powerfully as he can move them in search of a knockout. He only stops throwing when his foe is out of reach.

If he can work all the way to the inside, he refocuses his efforts on securing a Thai plumb. Equally aggressive knees are sure to follow, once the plumb is in place. And those knees are just as devastating—probably more so, actually—than his fists.

Rinse. Repeat.

That style is perfectly suited for a standup bomber who likes to throw shots right down the middle. The shortest path between any two points is a straight line. When Silva wings those wild hooks, Stann can counter right down the middle, and his shot should either land simultaneously or first.

A decade ago, that wouldn’t have mattered because Silva’s chin and the speed with which he threw his shots overwhelmed opponents, even those with the cleanest standup technique. Today, firing down the middle with fast, straight punches is a big key to controlling Silva.

Of course, putting him on his back is another great way to neutralize the former champ. Stann doesn’t have the strongest wrestling in the division, but he is a much bigger, stronger man than the Brazilian. He may be able to drag him down, if he can survive an onslaught of knees from the clinch.

My guess is that Stann will seek to throw hands with Silva early, though takedowns will always be on his mind.

When throwing hands, Stann needs to be very careful not to retreat straight back. Silva’s winging hooks are very effective against guys who pull back with their chin up. Just ask Michael Bisping.

Stann has an exceptional chin. It is unlikely that a single punch thrown in isolation will render him unconscious, unless he simply doesn’t see it coming. With that said, all chins are breakable for a guy like Silva. Two or three shots on the button are certainly enough for him to turn out the lights on Stann or anyone else, even at this stage of his career.

Thus, I expect Stann to use lots of footwork to pop in and out of range. He will want to slam and then slide. Hammer and then hiatus. Bludgeon and then bail. Whatever and then whatever. You get the point.

If the fight hits the ground, it will be all about ground and pound for Stann. Silva isn’t going to submit him from his guard. No way. No chance. Stann knows that, so he can be aggressive with his fists and elbows on the ground. All he has to worry about is Silva working back to his feet.

Similarly, if Silva happens to stumble into a takedown of his own, which is highly unlikely, he will exclusively focus on raining punches from the top position. Submissions have never been a focus of his. That won’t change on Saturday night.

Taking all that into account, who is going to win this weekend? This fight has Brian Stann written all over it. He is the younger, fresher, stronger fighter. He also has more recent momentum, despite the fact that he is coming off a loss, just like Silva.

One would be foolish, however, to count out the former champion. He remains extremely dangerous for anyone who wants to stand and trade with him. Cung Le found that out, as mentioned.

Without guaranteeing the outcome, the one thing I feel good about guaranteeing is that this will be an extremely fun fight to watch. Both guys are known for all-action efforts. They are known for thrilling performances.

In fact, Silva is more concerned with thrilling the crowd at this stage in his career than he is maximizing his chances at winning. His last two bouts—and three of his last five—ended in Fight of the Night performances. I would be shocked if Saturday night doesn’t follow suit (or at least win Knockout of the Night).

QUICK FACTS

Brian Stann
•    12-5
•    6’1, 205 lbs
•    74-inch reach
•    32 years old
•    8-3 as a light heavyweight
•    First fight at light heavy since Feb. 6, 2010
•    75.0% of wins by KO/TKO
•    8.3% of wins by submission
•    16.7% of wins by decision
•    First fight against a former UFC/PRIDE champion
•    First-time headlining a UFC event
•    Fight of the Night 2x
•    Current layoff is 162 days
•    Longest layoff of career is 285 days

Wanderlei Silva
•    34-12-1, 1 NC
•    5’11, 205 lbs
•    74-inch reach
•    36 years old
•    First fight at light heavy since Dec. 27, 2008
•    70.6% of wins by KO/TKO
•    8.8% of wins by submission
•    20.6% of wins by decision
•    Fight of the Night 4x (including last 2 bouts)
•    KO of the Night 1x
•    Current layoff is 253 days
•    Longest layoff of career 496 days