Latest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of October 30, 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 Nick Diaz and  B.J. Penn pictured above, we can all "get along."

Teaming up with MMA sites like MiddleEasy, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and Five Ounces of Pain, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.

This week, Cage Potato speaks with Dan Severn about the end of his career, Lowkick provides some exclusive UFC Undisputed 3 photo coverage and The Fight Nerd speaks with Bas Rutten about his new show on Fuel, "Punk Payback."

The full list of links is after the jump.

- UFC Undisputed 3 photo coverage by Scott Hirano (LowKick)

- Dan Severn still wants Coleman and Shamrock, will likely retire next year (Cage Potato)

"I want specific fights right now. I've had some verbal offers but haven't had the opportunity to bring some of these matches to life. Two particular matches I'm still interested are ones with Mark Coleman and Ken Shamrock. Realistically, I think that 2012 will be my final year as an MMA competitor. So whatever gets done gets done; whatever doesn't, I'll have to learn to live with I guess."

- Grappling with Issues 11-3-11 (Five Ounces of Pain)

Is B.J. Penn retired for good or will he fight again? How likely is it Mark Munoz vs. Chris Leben will go a full five rounds? What is your take on this weekend's lackluster UFC 138 lineup? Should Jay Hieron have to go through another tournament to earn a rematch with Ben Askren?

- All-access pass (video) (MMA Fighting)

Get inside look to Mark Munoz's training camp for UFC 138 fight

- "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal" official trailer (5thRound)

In anticipation of what could be Strikeforce's final major event on Showtime, the premium cable network has released the official trailer for "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal."

- Tank Abbott vs Scott Ferrozzo II (video) (MiddleEasy)

Remember that Tank Abbott fight that was supposed to go down at a strip club? Well we have video of it...

- Bas Rutten on his new show "Punk Payback" and self-defense (TheFightNerd)

The Fight Nerd spoke with Bas Rutten, whose new show on FUEL TV, "Punk Payback" debuts tonight, which is a show that has the former UFC Heavyweight Champ and King of Pancrase breaking down real-life self-defense situations caught on tape, and showing you at home what to do if you were in that situation (think of his "Lethal Street-Fighting" DVD, but more!). We discussed the show at length, explaining what the concept is, how much of the self-defense that Bas shows is improv or scripted (along with the craziness that he says), and what is ahead in Bas' acting career. We also discuss the real-life implications of some of these scenarios, and what is legal to do if you need to defend yourself.

- Takeaways from UFC 137 (Fight Opinion)

Donald Cerrone is ripping through the UFC competition. I love it. Not only does he win, he does it with style and takes no prisoners. He's gotten better each time he fights. He finished Dennis Siver so fast, Spike TV had time to show Brandon Vera's three round fight.

- Zuffa maintains "BB" credit rating, "Stable" is key (MMA Payout)

"UFC's seven year TV deal with Fox Sports Media Group, replacing Zuffa's current deals with Spike TV and Versus, offers more stable and favorable economics over the term of the TV deal in hope of potentially reducing Zuffa's dependency on the more-volatile event based revenue....Nearly 75% of Zuffa's total revenue is event based. The majority is composed of PPV buys and ticket sales. Remaining 25% revenue is composed of live and taped television broadcasts, sponsorship, merchandising, licensing, and content distribution deals."

- The 100 greatest moments in UFC history (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

At this point, it's safe to say the UFC's popularity is snowballing. Even that may be a mild analogy. With the UFC and its fighters finding newer and wider avenues into the mainstream seemingly every day, MMA's premier promotion is more like a magnet in a river of paper clips, or a molten ball of caramel careening down a mountain of chopped walnuts.

You get the idea. These are heady times for the UFC.

- UFC 138 Preview - ‘unloved and unwanted in the UK' edition (MMA Convert)

Britain's "best" may not be on the card (Michael Bisping has got a date with Jason "Mayhem" Miller further down the line, and Dan Hardy is off getting his hair rehabilitated), but the main event promises to be a dramatic reenactment of William Shakespeare's "I Punched His Freakin' Head Off".

- Shane Carwin refutes retirement rumors (Fightline)

Don't get it twisted folks, Shane Carwin isn't going anywhere. The 36-year-old bruiser recently went under the knife to correct a long-standing back problem and will be out of action until the middle of next year. Having undergone intensive neck surgery already and considering his age, some began speculating that The Engineer would soon be hanging up his four ounce gloves..