Brian Stann and 10 Fighters Who Would Make Great Commentators

Word came recently that popular middleweight Brian Stann will join the regular broadcasting rotation for UFC on FOX events. And why not? Smart, articulate, great back story, nice square jaw. What's not to like?

While current and former pro athletes are not exactly unmitigated slam dunks in this capacity (right, Joe Morgan?), some can be great in the booth. Charles Barkley, Don Meredith and Andy North come to mind as guys who bring or brought a strong blend of firsthand knowledge and personality to the airwaves.

In MMA, Bas Rutten, Randy Couture, Stann and an improving Kenny Florian are showing others how it's done.

Here are 10 other fighters who could follow in those footsteps and make the transition. 

10. Rashad Evans

Like Stann, Evans cut his broadcasting teeth on ESPN2's MMA Live program. Also like Stann, Evans is thoughtful and well-spoken, not to mention extremely well-groomed.

9. Brock Lesnar

Lesnar loves to play the irascible loner, but deep down I suspect he loves himself some spotlight.

He could bring to an MMA broadcast what Bob Knight brings to college basketball...the plainspoken curmudgeon from the breadbasket of America.

8. Roy Nelson

Those who insist on making Nelson the butt of their jokes are themselves missing the punchline.

Because the thing is, Nelson welcomes the attention, and has the confidence to thrive in the spotlight. 

And for observers who can move past the hamburgers-and-beards plot line, Nelson's deep knowledge of and love for his sport are evident. Sounds like a good commentator to me.

7. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson

His accomplishments give him gravitas. His bottomless well of opinions and humor gives him plenty of verbal ammo. And it's not like he's all that into actual fighting anymore, anyway.

Just one concern: would his, eh, fraternizations with all those female reporters now constitute workplace harassment? I don't know, but if it does, good luck enforcing the policy. Maybe there's a video he can watch. 

(Photo h/t: The Orange County Register)

6. Frank Mir

One of the smartest fighters in the game showed real aptitude for fight analysis during a two-and-a-half-year, on-and-off relationship with the WEC.

5. Tito Ortiz

When elite but fading athletes see the end on the horizon, it's interesting to see how quickly they set to work mending any tears in their image, bending over backward to ingratiate themselves to the fans and media members whose attention they can no longer take for granted. I believe that's part of what's behind Tito's recent face turn.

I don't want to sound completely cynical here. The guy is older and wiser than he once was. He has a family now. His newfound magnanimity is certainly laudable.

But let's be honest: Ortiz thrives in the public eye; he may no longer know any other way to live. That's a problem when you're an athlete running low on athletic currency.

So what's left? Personality and the public memory. The dual foundations on which a thousand post-sports careers were built.

And hey, I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to fade into oblivion, either. If I was in his position, damn right I'd be doing all I could to max out my approval rating on the way out. All the better to make a smooth postfight career transition with, my dear. It's just interesting to watch, is all.

4. Jason 'Mayhem' Miller

If you didn't know Mayhem and his talent for gab before, you got a heaping dose during his coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter.

He knows TV through his time hosting Bully Beatdown, among other things, and he knows the sport extremely well.

He seems to have the intellectual acuity to offer informed commentary in the heat of the moment--a feat much easier said than done. And hey, let's face it, the dude has a good baritone.  

3. Forrest Griffin

These days, Griffin seems to be more of a laugher than a fighter. And yet, despite losing three of his last five and seriously dialing back his UFC-related schedule, Griffin remains extremely popular.

The former light heavyweight champion and two-time best-selling author has a sense of humor and a common touch you simply cannot teach.

(Photo h/t: Yell! Magazine)

2. Stephan Bonnar

Who would have thought Stephan Bonnar's fight career would outlast Griffin's? But with the drumbeat for Griffin's retirement holding steady and Bonnar still riding the afterglow of a critical win over Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 139, that's the way the tea leaves are looking at the moment. 

Either way, these two are inextricably linked for waging what has gone down in MMA lore as the greatest fight ever. It's always up for debate, of course, but no discussion on the subject is complete without Griffin-Bonnar 1.

There's no telling when these two will hang it up, but when they do, why not put them in a booth together? Who wouldn't watch that? It would be unprecedented in sports media. They seem to have chemistry, and the self-awareness to pull it off.

Bonnar, though undoubtedly the Pippen to Griffin's MJ, has his own sharp sense of humor and pull-no-punches approach to fight analysis. Both attributes served him well during turns on MMA Live and cage side with the WEC. I say give it a try.   

1. Chael Sonnen

I'll give you a moment to pull your jaw off the floor.

In addition to owning the top 17,832 soundbites in the sport's history, he has experience on the other side of the mic, with multiple appearances as an analyst on MMA Live and even hosting the 2011 Fighters Only World MMA Awards.