Post-fighting career, prep work keeps UFC commentator Brian Stann at top of game

Brian Stann

“Don’t you hit me like that or I’ll have to shoot you.”

It was a joke, said with a smile and a laugh, and directed at Ilir Latifi moments after the Swedish fighter knocked out Hans Stringer at UFC Fight Night 72.

Brian Stann, who was doing cageside commentary at the event, made the offhand remark. Stann was between fights when he sought out Latifi to praise the fighter’s punching power. Unfortunately, an international broadcast partner was live at the time and picked up the comment on Stann’s microphone.

Misunderstanding the comment, a story ran that claimed Stann had said to a fan in the crowd, “Don’t you hit me like that or I’ll sue you.” The mixup quickly was rectified, but it taught Stann a valuable lesson.

“Incidents like that teach you that you have to be very careful around those microphones,” Stann told MMAjunkie. “You never know when one channel is in commercial break that some other broadcast may be picking you up.”

Stann is a former UFC middleweight and former WEC light heavyweight champion whose final fight in the UFC came in 2013. He also was a decorated U.S. Marine who served in Iraq and was awarded the prestigious Silver Star. He wasn’t too far into his career as a UFC color commentator at that time, a career that began when he received a call while on vacation in Florida, asking if he was available to work UFC 163 in Brazil on short notice.

Stann gladly accepted the UFC’s offer, and two weeks later he was in Brazil calling his first UFC event. Just days after that fight card, the UFC, impressed with how Stann performed, told him he shouldn’t be surprised if he received a call to do more commentary work in the future.

That call came in advance of UFC Fight Night 34 in Singapore, and with more time to prepare, Stann considered that event his actual UFC audition. After all, Stann’s thinking went, anyone can get lucky once.

Stann nailed his role in Singapore, just like he did in Brazil, and shortly after that, the UFC offered him a three-year deal.

As with most events in Stann’s life, luck had little to do with him getting the broadcasting job with the UFC.

Stann didn’t waltz up to his cageside seat with a handful of crumpled up Post-it notes and wing it at those two events. Stann prepares meticulously for everything he does. He learned the value of that preparation when he auditioned for a role calling college football in the Atlantic Coast Conference for FOX Sports South.

“There were nine people that auditioned for that job,” said Stann. “Every single one of them had a bigger name in the ACC than I did. The reason that I got the gig is because I walked in there much better prepared than they were.”

His time calling college football also readied Stann in other ways for his UFC work.

Each ACC game Stann called would be followed by an in-depth critique of his work from ACC broadcaster Raycom, FOX Sports South and his own producer.

“It’s a lot of criticism, and you’ve got to be humble enough to accept it and learn,” said Stann.

Stann always keeps his finger on the pulse of everything UFC, but his detailed preparation for events begins about two weeks before fight night. Stann puts in about five hours a day of study two weeks out. The week of the event, Stann’s workload increases to closer to 10 hours a day.

“A lot of that is just going through footage, going through film, looking at technique, then reaching out and trying to talk to different camps and managers, trying to get a hold of people – which isn’t easy,” said Stann.

Upon arrival during fight week, Stann’s workdays become even busier, culminating with the day before the actual fight card, when a 15-hour workday is typical. Stann spends that time getting the perspective of those who are going to be closest to the action the next day – the fighters, managers and trainers.

If you think Stann spends all that time readying himself for an event so he doesn’t look bad on camera, you couldn’t be more incorrect.

“If I don’t do the prep work, then I am dishonoring the fighters because it’s my job to tell the people at home about them and describe what they’re doing,” Stann said.

All this is done while Stann holds down a full-time job as president and CEO of Hire Heroes USA.

“It’s not always easy,” Stann said. “I travel for that other job, as well, so there’s definitely some difficulties. I had to hire an assistant this year. She’ll compile a lot of my notes and things I want to read so I don’t have to search for them so I can just have them on my flight.”

Stann has excelled at his job with the UFC, even with everything he has going on outside the promotion. Evidence of this can be found by keeping an eye on social media whenever Stann is calling a fight. The former UFC fighter is often praised for his work by fans and pundits alike.

“It feels wonderful,” Stann said. “When you hear people say that you know the sport and that you respect it, it feels great.”

Despite the admiration he receives, Stann doesn’t let the flattery go to his head.

“Me and (fellow UFC commentator) Kenny Florian joke about it all the time,” said Stann. “When you call a fight, anything you say that someone doesn’t like, they’re going to let you know immediately. And so for every one or two positive things that are said, trust me, there’s much more on the other side. You have to laugh it off or else you wouldn’t be able to do this for a living.”

But do it for a living he does, and Stann couldn’t be happier or more grateful for the opportunity.

“These jobs can come and they can go very easily because everybody wants them,” Stann said. “So you’ve got to savor it while it lasts and you have to make sure that you stay at your best.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.