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Kenny Florian: BJ Penn is ‘human’ and ‘can be beaten’ Posted: 30 Nov 2008 10:36 PM CST Props: Boston Herald Quoteworthy: "With B.J., you have to keep him motivated. Hopefully after that performance he does see me as a threat and sees it as a potential great fight. I wanted to let him know that I was there and that's how I feel about him…. I know I have a lot to learn and a lot to still improve upon, but at the end of the day, B.J. Penn is human. If he's human, that means he can be beaten and, with the trainers that I have, I feel that anyone can be beat. I know that I'll figure out a way to do it." Kenny Florian talks about the reason he called out UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn during his post-fight comments after defeating Joe Stevenson at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" via first round submission (rear naked choke) to earn the title shot. It was all to keep “The Prodigy” interested in the challenges that still remain in the 155-pound class — Penn is set to fight Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 on January 31 for his 170-pound belt. If Penn sticks around the division Florian will be his next opponent, which would also serve as Florian's second crack at the crown — he dropped a unanimous decision to Sean Sherk in 2006 for the vacant division title.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao video bet between Roger Huerta and Brandon Vera Posted: 30 Nov 2008 06:36 PM CST Loser wears a chicken suit: (Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “Valkrie” for the assist.)

Junie Browning brushes up on jiu-jitsu with BJ Penn … Posted: 30 Nov 2008 03:06 PM CST … although his training at X-Treme Couture is more than likely a little more hands on: Props: CombatLifestyle.com (For more pics of the Thanksgiving feast be sure to click the link.)

MMA Quick Quote: Robbie Lawler waiting and willing to fight the best Posted: 30 Nov 2008 02:51 PM CST “Just waiting for all the legal stuff to get done with so I can figure out where I’m going to land. I’m willing to fight the best in the world at basically 185. I’ll go to the UFC. I’ll go to Strikeforce. Whoever wants to fight, I want to compete against the best.” – “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler — the last man to hold the Elite XC middleweight title — vaguely discussed his future following the collapse of his previous employer on the latest episode of “Inside MMA” on HDNet this past Friday. It’s interesting he mentions the UFC as a possible landing spot because he already competed for the promotion seven times over a two year span from 2002 to 2004. After winning his first three fights in the Octagon he went on to drop three of his next four contests, which led to his release. However, Lawler has rebounded nicely since then and has only lost once in 10 fights since the departure. He is currently considered by most outlets to be a top 10 middleweight fighter. And with the UFC still looking for depth in the 185 pound division, we might just see him back in the UFC after all. Perhaps most important he and his management team are on very good terms with company president, Dana White.

Rising stars: WEC fighters Mark Munoz and Joseph Benavitez headline Monday’s Pro MMA Radio Posted: 30 Nov 2008 01:37 PM CST WEC 37 ‘Torres vs. Tapia’ is set to go down this Wednesday, December 3, live from the The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mark Munoz and Joseph Benavitez, two rising stars set to put their undefeated streaks on the line at the event, will join us this Monday December 1 at 9pm ET on MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio . Former NCAA national collegiate wrestling champion Mark Munoz drops by to talk about his bout against Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt Ricardo Barros, his decision to fight professionally six years after graduating as a decorated collegiate wrestling champion and his future in the UFC. Immediately following that Joseph Benavidez sounds off on his WEC debut against Danny Martinez, the origins of his relationship with WEC superstar Urijah Faber and what really went on with his scheduled fight with Kid Yamamoto at Dream 5. Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names. If you're looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that's already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn't for you. However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night at 9pm ET for our exclusive live feed. See you tomorrow at 9pm!

Thales Leites welcomes fight against Demian Maia Posted: 30 Nov 2008 11:16 AM CST Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy: "I'd accept a fight, I'm a professional. Demian is a great fighter and has been doing a great job in UFC. It's possible that they put this fight, because the belt is with a Brazilian guy and we're growing, so they can put this fight to take one of the Brazilians from the tops. I believe it'd be a good fight, we almost have the same game and it's kind of different from the American guys, who goes from striking and work on the ground n' pound. We know each other's game and it'd be a huge fight. Demian has been doing a good job, but I'd accept this fight." Thales Leites — who is on a five-fight UFC win streak (5-1 overall) — has no problems taking a fight against Demian Maia sometime down the road. Maia is on a four-fight tear of his own inside the Octagon, winning all four of his fights via submission. Locking the two Brazilians inside the cage would go a long way toward helping determine the top contender in the division. It would also be one hell of a ground war — each fighter boasts sick jiu-jitsu skills. Sooner rather than later, please, Joe Silva.

ProSieben: UFC strikes television deal in Germany Posted: 30 Nov 2008 09:56 AM CST If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently reached terms with a German television network, ProSieben, to air its mixed martial arts-related programming. It marks the fourth time that the sport will be introduced to the market through the airwaves. Premiere — the primary pay-per-view (PPV) provider in the region — stopped airing live UFC events in 2006 after disappointing buy rates, according to a report on FreeFightVideos.com. In fact, UFC 57: “Liddell vs Couture 3″ in February of that year was its last offering, which is a bit interesting because rumors have swirled that the pair would meet four a fourth time in Germany. That’s right, the promotion plans to make its debut in the “Fatherland” with UFC 99 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne on June 13, 2009. And aging but still popular icons Liddell and Couture are the early favorites to headline the card either against one another or separate opponents. While nothing is official at this time, Couture is the “natural” selection to participate on the card at the very least because he is fluent in German, spending four years of U.S. Army service stationed at the "Fliegerhorst" base of Langendiebach in Erlensee in a former lifetime. Expect more news like this in the future because of the promotion’s intent on global expansion. England and Ireland have already or intend to host recent events. And European neighbors Italy and Sweden could be next. In addition, UFC also has its sights set on penetrating Australia, Japan, Mexico, Philippines and Dubai, among other foreign lands in the near future. It’s all part of UFC President Dana White’s master plan to one day become the most popular sport in the world, eclipsing the very popular soccer and American football. And in order to do that people do need to see it to buy into it.

Learn how to fight and punch like Fedor Emelianenko (Video) Posted: 30 Nov 2008 09:12 AM CST

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