Photo by Al Bello/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
A middleweight match-up of power punchers will go down in Stockholm, Sweden on April 14th, when Brian Stann faces Alessio Sakara, according to a report from mmanytt.se:
MMAnytt has exclusively been able to confirm that Brian Stann verbally confirmed that he will face Alessio Sakara somewhere on the main card
Although the placement of this fight on the Sweden card is a bit puzzling, Sakara's Italian heritage does provide a link to the European MMA scene, and these guys should also produce some fireworks for the Fuel TV audience. Stann seemed to be getting fast-tracked toward a title shot and the UFC was more than happy to put their promotional weight behind an "all-American hero", but Chael Sonnen put a stop to all of that at UFC 136 by thoroughly dominating Stann on the ground en-route to a second round submission win.
Sakara, meanwhile, will have been out of action for more than a year by the time April rolls around, with a decision loss to Chris Weidman last March (which ended a three-fight winning streak) being the last time fans saw Sakara in the Octagon. Thankfully, the UFC decided to give up on trying to book Sakara against Jorge Rivera, a match-up that fell apart three separate times due to various injuries and illnesses.
Brian "All American" Stann (11-4)
L Chael Sonnen (submission) - UFC 136
W Jorge Santiago (KO) - UFC 130
W Chris Leben (TKO) - UFC 125
Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara (15-8, 1 NC)
L Chris Weidman (unam. decision) - UFC on Versus 3
W James Irvin (TKO) - UFC on Versus1
W Thales Leites (split decision) UFC 101
1 recs | 42 comments
on paper
it seems like an easy win for stann
Cory Braiterman - January 5, 2012
Stann's easiest fight at 185 yet, IMO
F.U.B.A.R - January 5, 2012
Yes.
But it should still be fun.
pud333 - January 5, 2012
This just in, Alessio got hurt....while shaving.
malo - January 5, 2012 via mobile
i heard he sprained his back, elbows and ankles while tying his laces.
then he got vertigo on the way up and passed the fuck out. true story.
Victor Rodriguez - January 5, 2012
Styles make fights and this is two guys who want to stand and bang. Sakara got taken to school by Weidman on the ground, which isn’t a strength of Stann’s. This is by no means a walk through fight for Stann.
dpk875 - January 6, 2012
The time has come....
Brian Stanns pulls out due to injury, only to be replaced by, dun Dun DUN!!!! Jorge Rivera. Book it!
SteveevaD - January 5, 2012
This fight has to happen before the world ends in 2012…..right?
Snake_Pliskan - January 5, 2012
Time’s running out on both of their UFC careers. Because of that alone, if it doesn’t happen in 2012, it’s never happening.
Shnak - January 6, 2012
What a downgrade for Stann
But it fits for him
karmaportrait - January 5, 2012
Easy win for Stann.
andrew861 - January 5, 2012
This fight won’t happen. Alessio is due for another injury.
nastyem - January 5, 2012
Sounds like a bonkers fight.
Disagree that it is an easy win for Stann. Sakara is a very very good boxer, and this fight is primed to stay on the feet.
Magaca - January 5, 2012
easy style match up for Stann...until he gets pulled for injury and they replace him with Rivera
MaZZacare - January 5, 2012
or...
Stann pulls out and we get the Rivera/Sakara fight that seems doomed to never happen.
then Sakara gets injured again.
Victor Rodriguez - January 5, 2012
wow looks like they dont want to risk stann losing again.
benten20 - January 5, 2012
um...why?
John Danaher's Hair - January 5, 2012
Well, both guys needed a fight. And this one.
mburtoni - January 5, 2012
and this IS one.
mburtoni - January 5, 2012
Sakara is scheduled to pull out of this fight sometime mid-February
SSreporters - January 5, 2012
damn you beat me to it.
Rob Young - January 5, 2012
was just going to say the same thing....
higgledy-piggledy - January 5, 2012
Wow
According to MMAjunkie, this fight is going to be the headliner. That is bizarre.
mburtoni - January 5, 2012
WHAT?
Oh please no, I want Gustafsson!
wonderfulspam - January 5, 2012
Can still be on that card and co-headline or just “be there”. It’s not like he’s due to necessarily headline with his record anyway, even in Sweden.
KGNLuc - January 5, 2012
I’d love to see Gustafsson v Thiago Silva headline this.
dpk875 - January 6, 2012
Where do you see this?
I just skimmed the articles on Junkie related to UFC on Fuel 2 but I can’t see anything about Sakara-Stann headlining.
wonderfulspam - January 5, 2012
This is the article.
Second paragraph:
mburtoni - January 5, 2012
Reading comprehension fail
I read that line but didn’t notice the “headliner” part. Thanks!
And good lord, that is a dreadful main event. Fun fight and one that Stann should take handily, but Y U NO BOOK GUSTAFSSON?!
wonderfulspam - January 5, 2012
Rob Young - January 5, 2012
I have a feeling we’re gonna see Gustafsson on this card anyway, either against Bonnar or Vera.
mburtoni - January 5, 2012 via iPhone app
That is one of the worst headliners ever.
SSreporters - January 5, 2012
Shields vs. Ellenberger says hi
also, Koscheck vs. Yoshida
Rob Young - January 5, 2012
Shields vs Ellenberger was an awesome headliner… miles better than Stann and Sakara.
Bonnar vs Kraokjasdfljceck is a better example of a bad headliner than Shields vs Ellenberger…
Shnak - January 5, 2012
oh yeah i forgot about that one.
yeah Bonnar vs. Pokrajac has to be definitively the worst UFC main event ever.
Rob Young - January 5, 2012
What?
Shields vs Ellenberger was great – a guy who just fought for the title against a top prospect.
wonderfulspam - January 5, 2012
yeah i guess that one came to mind just because of me not enjoying to see either of them fight
as far as divisional relevance it was much better.
Rob Young - January 5, 2012
Headliner?
You have gots to be kidding me! Junkie is usually a very trustworthy source, but I refuse to believe this one. I mean, god.. Stann vs Sakara. That is just horrible. Definitely won’t be paying for tickets to a show like that.
But again I’ll remain hopeful that something else pops up and this is just some bad joke.
Horselover Fat - January 5, 2012
Can Sakara's striking even hang in there with Stann
Sick Fight anyways
MMA214 - January 5, 2012 via mobile
Eh. Stann got embarassed by Sonnen
so giving him Sakara makes sense. We know Sakara won’t pull a Sonnen on him. Easy W for Stann unless he has a brainfart.
pud333 - January 5, 2012
I dont get why everyone thinks Stann takes this.
I see Sakara TKO’ing him in the 2nd
NEW-HAMPSHIRE - January 5, 2012
I see a motive here behind Stann being on the card. There are at least 4 Scandinavian fighters making their UFC debuts on this card, and I think UFC wants to give them the chance to make an impression, and meet first hand with an elite trainer like Greg Jackson, or Trevor Whitman, the guys that train Stann. If Jackson is there 1st hand, then he could possibly invite a few of these guys to train with him in the future and help move Scandinavian MMA forward a few years.
dpk875 - January 6, 2012
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