MMAjunkie looks at MMA History Today: Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann

Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann

Two years ago today, two heavy hitters stepped on to hallowed ground at Saitama Super Arena. No one knew it at the time, but it was likely the last time either would step foot in the octagon.

It was March 3, 2013, and the UFC was visiting Japan’s Saitama Super Arena for “UFC on FUEL TV 8: Silva vs. Stann.”

Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann

In the main event, MMA legend Wanderlei Silva (34-9-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC at the time) returned to the site of some of his greatest triumphs for a light-heavyweight matchup with former WEC champion Brian Stann (12-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC at the time). What followed was sheer pandemonium.

“You really have to watch it to believe, but Silva and Stann put on the type of performance where technique went out the window and all hell broke loose as both men just threw down, swinging with reckless abandon,” MMAjunkie contributor Chamatkar Sandu remembered. “After both men managed to drop each other early on, it was ‘The Axe Murderer’ who was able to clear the cobwebs, persevere and come back to his old stomping ground, Saitama Super Arena, and defeat Stann with a flurry of punches – followed by a knockout blow – late in the second round.”

MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes has a similar recollection of the evening, and he remembers it as only he can.

At first when I heard Silva and Stann were going to go at it as light heavyweights in Japan I was all:

Then when it was clear that they were just going to stand in front of each other and punch until someone fell down and went to sleep I was all:

Finally, when it was over and Silva was the one who’d come back from the brink to win it, I walked around that whole day like:

At the time, it seemed Silva’s knockout win could potentially revive his career, as MMAjunkie assistant editor Matt Erickson stated just after the fight.

“If there were any concerns Silva would call it quits as he approaches 50 career fights, he likely set them aside for now,” Erickson wrote.

Of course, despite it taking place just two short years ago, the fight now seems like a distant memory. Silva went on to a coaching stint opposite Chael Sonnen on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3,” but he never made the scheduled meeting as injuries delayed the fight. Eventually, Silva’s outright refusal to submit to a Nevada State Athletic Commission drug test led to a lifetime ban from the sport.

Meanwhile, Stann has openly admitted it was this contest that forced him to reconsider his future as a fighter, and he ultimately elected to walk away from competition and now makes his living as a UFC broadcaster.

For MMAjunkie editor-in-chief Dann Stupp, it was actually Stann’s place in the battle that he’ll always remember most fondly.

“I think this event just solidified something most of already knew: Brian Stann is one classy dude,” Stupp said. “It looked like he was on his way to win a over an all-time great – in Japan, no less – before Wanderlei Silva rallied and spoiled it.

“Stann admitted he was ‘heartbroken,’ but he used his post-fight interview to rave about Silva and what it meant to fight an idol of his. It ended up being Stann’s last fight, but despite the loss, one of MMA’s good guys left in a fitting fashion.”

For complete coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 8, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

For more on the most historical moments in the sport of MMA, check out @MMAHistoryToday. And to watch Silva vs. Stann and the rest of UFC on FUEL TV 8, check out UFC Fight Pass.