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"The Polish Experiment" Krzysztof Soszynski (-160) vs "All American" Brian Stann (+160)

by Stan Leung
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UFC 97 Redemption
April 18th, 2009 7 PM
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Brian Stann
UFC Betting Pick: Krzysztof Soszynski (-160)

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UFC Light Heavyweight Fight: "The Polish Experiment" Krzysztof Soszynski (-160) vs "All American" Brian Stann (+160)

“All American” Brian Stann (6-1) may be from Scranton, Pennsylvania but he is not like anyone from the TV show The Office. Sport betting is he is an underdog in his fight with “The Polish Experiment”Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8-1).

Most online sportsbook and odds makers have Soszynski as the betting favorite, and he should be but I would have set the lines a little bit closer. Krzysztof Soszynski should win this fight but it is not going to be as easy as the betting lines suggest. In two years Stann will beat Krzysztof but not today. Honestly I think Stann should be much closer in the betting lines. At -160 for a former Light Heavyweight champion is just not right, especially for a sports bettor. BecauseSoszynski was the Ultimate Fighter reality show TUF Soszynski gets the TUF betting bump. Unfortunately this is a betting bump in the wrong way as Soszynski. The Polish Experiment should be a betting favorite but not by the odds put forth by the online sportsbooks.

Soszynski career started in professional wrestler and learned Bad News Brown who was a bronze medalist at an Olympic games. From there Krzysztof trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under black belt and gym owner, Rodrigo Munduruca, in Winnipeg and has since moved to the states to train under Dan Henderson at Team Quest in Temecula, California alongside Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.


He is a well rounded fighter and has good striking skills as well as decent grappling skills. Also training with Team Quest will develop a good wrestling base from training with Henderson. Soszynski has very good wrestling skills and Stann has never fought a high quality wrestler before.

Striking wise Stann is he more powerful puncher and has man strengthen. He played football for the Midshipmen at the position of middle linebacker during his time at the Naval Academy. He was also defeated Doug Marshall to become the WEC Light Heavyweight champion and has had 6 first round KO’s in 6 fights before losing by KO in the second round to Steve Cantwell at WEC 35. Stann has very good punching power and is technically a very good striker.

Krzysztof is a decent striker with 5 KO’s in his MMA career. If this was a pure striking fight Stann would eventually get the win but this is mixed martial arts and Krzysztof has a weird striking style that throws off many fighters. He keeps his open very wide and keeps his hands wide like Chuck Liddell and Bass Rutten. Soszynski is a south paw fight which means his left hand is his power hand.


Fighting a south paw is not very easy and Stann will have problems with trying to circle him out. Soszynski keeps his jab hand very high up and his lead hand very low. He does this because he can check the lead hand of his opponent and come over the top with a jab or come over the top with the led left hand.


Stann is a more powerful striker but he will have a tough time with Soszynski’s unorthodox style and stance. Because Soszynski keeps his lower left hand low and many wont see his left power hand coming. A sports bettor might think Soszynski has a weak chin because he has KO loses. But look who has loss to? He got KO’ed by hard hitting fighters who should be heavyweight like Ben Rothwell, Reese Andy and Mike Whitehead. Soszynski will use striking to set Stann up for a takedown. Once Stann in on the ground he will be easy prey.

Stann does not what to go to the ground with Soszynski. The Polish Experiment has much better wrestling skills and he will use his size to take Stann to the ground. Soszynski is a very good ground and pound and once he gains top position he has the ability to hold Stann and pound him out. Grappling wise Soszynski have a decent ground game. He is a top control fighter and likes fight from side control. He likes to use Kimura’s from top position and once this fight hits the ground Stann will be exposed for his lack of grappling.

Bottom Line: Stann has only been out of the first round once. If Soszynski can avoid Stann in the first round he will be able to break down his rigid fighting style with his unorthodox fighting style. Stann is a military man and his fight style is like strict and regiment like his background. Mixed martial arts is unpredictable and can change a moments notice and Stann will not be able to handle Soszynski.

Stann has not fought real high level fighters and this will be his first time fighting in the UFC and he will not use to the atmosphere while Soszynski has fought before and has been accustomed to the high pace of the UFC from his coaches and being on the Ultimate Fighter show.


Soszynski has more experience and better prepared from his MMA camp at Team Quest while Stann does not have the training partners and high level of training that Soszynski has. Also Soszynski is Canadian and will be fighting for the home town country so he will be well prepared and egged on from the crowd.

Betting wise Stann does have a punchers chance but he is still unproven in the level of competition he has fought. The only high level fighter he has ever fought was Steve Cantwell and he got a pretty bad beat down. Once Soszynski is able to break down Stann’s fight game he will have no answer for Soszynski. Persinally, I wish the betting odds were better but this fight worth is still a large play on the home town fighter with more experience, a better training camp, better wrestling, better grappling and an unorthodox fighting style.

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