Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

NEW YORK - By now, Brian Stann is used to the routine occurrences.

Journalists call, ask him a few questions about his fight, spend an inordinate amount of time inquiring about his military service, and write a story that reflects his Marine past more than his WEC present.

He is used to the people who say they are tired of him “using” his service time to get ahead in the MMA world.

He is used to “experts” that authoritatively speak out about his perceived lack of a ground game.

But Stann, ever the gentleman, handles all the situations the same: with modesty and respect.

Last week, during a press junket to publicize this Sunday’s World Extreme Cagefighting event (live on Versus at 9 pm ET), NBCSports.com spent the day with the WEC light-heavyweight champ. From visits to the office of Sports Illustrated to ESPN the Magazine to Fox News and more, Stann sees it as part of his duty to spread the word about both his past and present.

Ironically enough, he didn’t always see things this way.

“I hated it at first,” said Stann, who started his military career at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he also played linebacker on the football team. “But then I had one of my commanders sit me down and say, ‘Brian, you can use this platform to highlight the work of your fellow soldiers, and you can use it to get the word out about mixed martial arts.’ I’d never really looked at it that way before, and it made perfect sense.”

During a 12-hour whirlwind day in which Stann did a slew of TV, radio and print interviews and still got in a 90-minute training session, not one reporter failed to ask about his service time in Iraq, during which Stann earned a Silver Star for bravery in leading his 42 troop members to safety without a fatality (Stann is quick to point out there were several serious injuries incurred) during a six-day siege near Karabilah.

It’s been an ongoing theme throughout his career. He is, after all, nicknamed “The All-American,” and while most fighters bring a banner highlighting their sponsors to showcase in their corner, Stann flies the U.S. Marine Corps flag.

His service is not a subject he invites, but neither is it one he deflects.

“We have a war going on, and lots of great young men and women fighting for us,” says Stann, who has a nine-month old daughter named Alexandra with his wife, Teressa. “Whether or not you disagree with the war – and that’s your right as an American – I will always take the opportunity to highlight the great work and sacrifice of those serving overseas.”

The he adds, “It’s pretty simple. If people ask me questions, I’m going to answer them.”

But the fabric of his military service is interwoven into his career. The 27-year-old Stann, who is 6-0 in his career, improbably started his career from the unlikeliest of places: Iraq.

While stationed abroad and preparing to return to the U.S. after the completion of his first tour of duty, Stann searched the internet, hoping to find a way to reach a promoter and schedule his first professional fight after winning a few amateur bouts.

From the sweltering Iraqi desert, Stann used a satellite phone to call stunned promoters, who simply couldn’t believe that a soldier in the midst of a battle zone was calling about fighting when he returned to the peace and quiet of home.

Finally, he reached Matt Lindland, the former UFC fighter and current Affliction middleweight who also runs a Portland, Ore., promotion called SportFight. Lindland gave Stann his first chance after another fighter pulled out of a match due to an injury. Without a coach or a cornerman to assist him, Stann knocked out Aaron Stark in just over three minutes.

Amazingly, Stann continued to succeed and elevate himself to a championship level without the benefit of a coach. In May, he finished his time with the Marine Corps and relocated to Alpharetta, Ga., where he has joined the HardCore Gym, headed by Adam Singer and former UFC fighter Rory Singer. There, he gets a chance to round out his game as a true professional.

Video   Stann is the Man WEC light-heavyweight champ Brian Stann talks about his next battle in the ring, against Steve Cantwell. NBC Sports

In recent months, he spent time utilizing the same conditioning coach used by NFL standouts Jamal Lewis and Osi Umenyiora. “They took one look at what I was doing, and wanted no part of it,’” he says, adding that he enjoyed watching the professional approach taken by Umenyiora.

But for those who doubt his ground game, take note that in his locale, he has a host of about 30 black belts with which to train, including the UFC’s Roan Carneiro and respected coach Roberto Traven.

Says Rory Singer: “Everyone’s in for a surprise when they see the new and improved Brian Stann.”

Stann’s opponent, Steve Cantwell, apparently doesn’t believe the hype. In a recent interview, he voiced a belief that his ground game is a “billion times better” than Stann’s.

“People have been saying I have no ground game for a long time,” Stann says. “To say his ground game is a billion times better… I don’t think he understands what that means. I don’t mind keeping that part of my game secret. It gives me the element of surprise, so I’ll keep it a secret as long as I can.”

Stann and Cantwell previously fought in March 2007, with Stann needing just 41 seconds to score a TKO victory. The win, however, was controversial, with Cantwell believing the fight was stopped prematurely, and after what he believed to be an illegal hit to the back of the head. It is the only loss in the career of Cantwell, who at 21 years old, is 5-1.

Stann is out to prove that it was no fluke.

But win or lose, he’ll compete to the end. His time in a war zone has re-shaped him as a fighter. Combat in a cage with rules is nothing like surviving a siege in a lawless land, but both experiences have reinforced in him perhaps his strongest weapon: his belief in himself.

“I’m missing that switch to give up and say I’m done,” he says. “When you watch MMA, you see guys break. If we’re in the cage and you’re beating me up, I’ll go all five rounds and take that beating, and I’ll never give up. I’ll always think I can find a way to pull out a win. And then even if you beat me, we’ll both go home knowing that you were the better guy, but I could’ve taken that beating all night.”

Regardless of the way he’s perceived, Stann has found his place in the MMA world. Some will always think of him as a war hero first, others will let that side of his life fade into a proud part of his past. Countless more will be oblivious of what he was, and focus only on the present.

Brian Stann carries it all with him, and whether you view him as a former Navy football player, a Marine war hero or a mixed martial artist, he’ll move forward with modesty and respect, knowing where he came from and where he's going.

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