LAS VEGAS – As far as pre-fight storylines go, the UFC 125 matchup between middleweight sluggers Chris Leben (25-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Brian Stann (9-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) appears pretty cut and dry.
Take Leben, an oft-troubled and always outspoken slugger, and pair him with Stann, a Silver Star-winning U.S. Marine known as the "All American," and you've got a clear good vs. evil scenario.
But Leben thinks MMA pundits and fans have been too quick to draw the obvious conclusion. After all, life isn't always that simple.
"Everybody wants to write a story, and a lot of writers like to make it into black and white," Leben said, "Fact is, life isn't a Superman comic book. Things aren't cut and dry. Until you know the circumstances, everything that's going on, you really shouldn't be so quick to pass judgement.
"Here's Chris Leben, who's been in a little bit of trouble, and here's Brian Stann, who's a decorated war hero. That's a pretty easy story to write."
Of course Leben believes that angle only tells part of the story.
"People don't want to write about a lot of the great things I do, all the kids I help out at my gym, volunteering at the hospital in Hawaii, all kinds of different stuff – the fact that I was in 12 countries this year to support the military.
"Life isn't cut and dry. I do feel portrayed unfairly sometimes."
Of course, the pre-fight hype is really all about driving public interest in the matchup and means little once the cage door closes. Leben walks into the octagon with a three-fight win streak in tow, and his spectacular win over Yoshihiro Akiyama this past June came just two weeks after a win over Aaron Simpson.
This time, Leben had a full camp to prepare, and he's prepared to put on a vintage performance in the co-main event of UFC 125.
"I had a full two months in my training camp to prepare for Brian Stann, prepare for his style, prepare for the his standup and what he does," Leben said. "Camp has been fantastic. I made it through camp injury free, which is rare.
"The hardest part about any fight truly is training up to the fight. You want to push yourself to that maximum level. I explain it to people like it's like a drag car. You have to rebuild the engine. [Expletive] blows out easy when you're running that high. We're blessed to come into this fight 100 percent. We're going to put on a show on Saturday night."
Leben admits Stann wasn't his first choice of opponent. With the win over Akiyama, Leben felt he would be granted a more high-profile matchup. Nevertheless, Leben believes Stann presents a worthy challenge.
"Honestly, there were a couple of people I asked for that I thought might be a little more known," Leben said. "Unfortunately, they already had fights lined up.
"Brian Stann, he was the 205-pound WEC champ. He's had some good knockouts. He's had some big wins. He's definitely an imposing guy. He's a bigger 185er. I'm excited to fight with him, and I think for the UFC, as far as the fans go, it's an exciting matchup."
Stann often credits his military background, in which he faced active combat, as a solid foundation for his MMA training. Leben, who said he has the utmost respect for Stann's wartime experiences, believes that's a poor assumption.
"He says that his battlefield experience is going to help him in the fight," Leben said. "To me, that's kind of like saying, 'Well, I was in several sword fights, so I'm going to be a good boxer.'
"He's fantastic at what he does, and I give him the utmost respect, but the fact of the matter is my battlefield is the octagon. The cage is my home turf, and when it comes to the UFC, I'm the veteran."
Leben vs. Stann seems destined for fireworks and is certainly an early "Fight of the Night" candidate. For Leben, the fight may also prove an opportunity to silence his critics.
"I'm comfortable on my feet," Leben said. "Definitely, I've got more experience than Brian Stann, and I'm comfortable on the ground. If this fight goes to the ground, I'm a rounded fighter. I'm not afraid to fight on the ground, but at the same time, I'm not afraid to stand and bang with him.
"Truthfully, I'm fighting better than I ever have. My camp is better than it's ever been, and I'm improving at an exponential rate right now. There's no one out there I would not want to fight right now."
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