Latest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of December 11, 2011

Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Gilbert Melendez and Fedor Emelianenko pictured above, we can all "get along."

Teaming up with MMA sites like MMA Fighting, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.

This week, Lowkick interviews rising Strikeforce prospect Ovince St. Preux, The Fight Nerd gets Chael Sonnen to open up about his upcoming fight and Bleacher Report speaks with Strikeforce lightweight K.J. Noons.

The full list of links is after the jump.

- Ovince St. Preux isn't scared to go toe-to-toe with Gegard Mousasi (LowKick)

"It's definitely safe to say that Mousasi is the biggest name I fought in my career," said St. Preux. "Everyone knows he's one of the Top 10 guys out there. He's a great challenge for me as a fighter. He will try to impose his will with striking, but he's one of those guys who also has a very good ground game too. With him I have to be prepared for a war in both stand up and on the ground."

- The procrastinating fight fan's last minute holiday gift guide (Cage Potato)

Pick these items up in your size and favorite color and if nobody visits you at Christmas, keep them for yourself.

- Carla Esparza reflects on recent win over Felice Herrig (Five Ounces of Pain)

Women's MMA and its rise in popularity can be attributed to a list of stellar competitors like Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Megumi Fujii, and Gina Carano. However, while certain stand-outs may receive the bulk of the public's attention there are a number of highly-talented females throwing down in the ring on a regular basis. One such fighter is Carla Esparza

- Winners and losers in the new Strikeforce-Showtime deal (MMA Fighting)

That news will have a wide-ranging impact on the mixed martial arts world, including the fighters, the promoters, the networks and the fans. We examine who the winners and losers are in the new Strikeforce-Showtime deal below.

- Fuel TV kicking off partnership in style (5thRound)

- Junie Browning wants US Embassy to save him from Thai mafia (MiddleEasy)

Sigh. The saga of Junie Browning's Thailand terrorization continues so it seems. It seems that it's not just the cops looking for Junie-now according to a post on Junie's facebook page: the Thai Mafia wants to wack his Kentucky ass.

- Chael Sonnen talks fight against Mark Munoz & why he won't coach a season of 'TUF' (The Fight Nerd)

Fight Nerd correspondent Hiroko Yamamura spoke with UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen at the UFC on Fox 2 press conference in Chicago. We spoke to him about his next fight against Mark Munoz and what to expect, where he plans on taking his career next and why he does not want to coach on a season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and how he wants peoples perceptions about his fighting style to change. This is an interview not to be missed!

- Keith Kizer believes urine is 'obviously' better than blood for steroid testing (Fight Opinion)

Tuesday proved to be quite the day on the radio circuit if you were interested in commentary about the situation between Alistair Overeem and the Nevada State Athletic Commission over drug testing. If you didn't follow the details of Monday's NSAC meeting, read the details here.

- Strikeforce and Showtime reach new deal (MMA Payout)

It has been speculated for months, but it was finally made official today. Strikeforce and Showtime have reached an agreement to televise live MMA for 2012, starting with the January 7th event headlined by Keith Jardine vs Luke Rockhold, which will air during a free preview weekend for the premium cable TV network.

- Interview with K.J. Noons (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

"My performance of my last fight was very poor. I got beat. He (Masvidal) came and had a good gameplan. Guys' tricky to fight. He's elusive. Got that in the past and changed the camp up, mix it up, do a few different things, be a better all around MMA fighter, really changed the camp up. Now I'm ready to go for this next fight. Showcase different skills to San Diego where I train and where I live at. So I'm super excited and I'm really excited to be back on Showtime."

- Review: The Principles of Unarmed Combat by Mark Jacobs (MMA Convert)

Yes, traditional martial arts - the world of dojos, starched gis and Bruce Lee's "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do". It's a world many an MMA fan fled like a combative sport refugee, and yet it's a world that still exists, kept alive by the inquisitive collective mind that hungers for the answers to such martial questions as "What works in a fight?"

- The Daily Line: Keeping Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce is a mistake (Fightline)

So, you're telling me that the guy who could barely contain his excitement at the prospect of joining the UFC roster back when the Zuffa/Strikeforce deal was initially announced, now all of a sudden wants to continue to compete in Strikeforce where it's been established the top-tier talent no longer resides?