UFC 130 Results: 3 Fights to Get Brian Stann into the Middleweight Title Picture

It was a Memorial Day weekend to remember for All-American war veteran Brian Stann, as he put in a dominant performance and gained a second TKO victory over a game Jorge Santiago. It was Santiago's return to the big leagues and Stann stopped him dead in his tracks with leg kicks and lethal combinations.

Coming into this fight, Santiago was ranked in the 14th or 15th area in the division based on a tear of wins outside the UFC. Stann was ranked lower than Jorge, so where does this lopsided beating of Santiago put Stann? I believe it vaults him onto the cusp of the top 10 in the division, and sets him up for a big step up in his next fight this year.

Stann has solidified himself as a major force to be reckoned with after his destruction of JS. He needs to be considered in the cream of the crop now at 185 and therefore must be handed to a division wolf.

With that idea in mind, I present to you three fights to get Brian Stann into the middleweight title picture.

Wanderlei Silva

A fight with The Axe Murderer could be something Stann wants

Can I say pretty please?

Yes, I wanted this fight to happen when it was talked about the first time, but I was not really sold on Stann yet and figured it would be a nice win for the tough veteran Axe Murderer.

Now, I'm not so sure.

This fight will be a case of two big-time strikers coming out and meeting in the middle and I can't help but wonder if past-war wear and tear will be a factor for Wanderlei being able to withstand it. Stann is a bit younger, a bit of a hungry lion, and Silva would have to consider ground as well in his quest for victory.

Let's have this fight happen soon and with Silva fighting Chris Leben on July 2nd, the timing is not too bad provided Stann can sit still and Silva can get through Leben unscathed. I'm not too sure about that happening but this fight would let us all know if Brian Stann could face the big dog.

Michael Bisping

Bisping would be the perfect heel against the American hero..

Obviously Michael Bisping has other plans for a while, but he is a guy that would be perfect for Brian Stann.

We all know that many people, and Bisping himself, fancy him as a contender in the middleweight division. While it seems hard to see The Count beating the champion and being the champion, the same can be said for many with Anderson Silva at the top.

Bisping is a guy that people think is top notch and Stann would be in for a test against the Brit. Bisping is one of the best piont fighters in the division, and Stann would have to get him to stand still long enough to hurt him. But if he could cut him off and track him down a la Dan Henderson, I'm sure we would see another brutal knockout with Bisping being the bloody victim.

This fight is bound to happen with the whole countryman push on both these guys. If Stann wins, he leap frogs one of the top contenders at 185.

Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort's lightning quick hands woud test Stann's chin and defense

Have we really seen Brian Stann face a striker the caliber of himself? Is that Steve Cantwell? How about Chris Leben?

How about Brian Stann vs. Vitor Belfort?

That would be an epic stand-up crash and I would love to see it. At the same time, it would really let us see if Brian Stann is the real thing. Granted he has fought and gone through some tough guys in his career to this point, but a fight with The Phenom would surely bring fireworks and test the chin and speed of Stann.

A win and even a quick win would have people saying Anderson Silva would have to be next.

Brian Stann needs his chin, his ground game and his stamina tested before he can be thought of as a title contender. Fights with one of any of these three top guys would certainly do some of those things.

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Correspondent for Bleacher Report MMA (Also a Correspondent for  MMACanada.net) 

Catch me on Twitter @wakafighter