Latest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of February 19, 2012

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 Frankie Edgar, Vinicius Megalhaes and Ricardo Almeida 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, MMA Fighting gets thoughts from veterans of the UFC's last event in Japan, Lowkick interviews Bart Palaszewski and Five Ounces of Pain interviews Ben Henderson.

The full list of links is after the jump.

- Interview with Bart Palaszewski (LowKick)

"I'm actually extremely happy with the match-up. That's the fight I asked for. I actually think he got really lucky with George Roop. He lost that fight. I want to fight him, and to prove that I'm a better fighter. Octagon jitters are just an excuse, because we all know he fought in big events for DREAM Shooto and Sengoku. For me, if there are 10 or 10,000 people in the crowd - I'm coming to do work. Jetlag, Octagon jitters... all those are excuses. I just think he's all hype."

- Melvin Guillard 'praying' for Joe Lauzon rematch (Cage Potato)

"In the 10 losses I have in my MMA career, I haven't rematched anyone I've lost to. Not once, I've never really cared for rematches because I felt they won, now I'll move on. Right now, I'm at the point where this fight means something to me, I have something to prove against Joe Lauzon, so this is a rematch I'm asking for. Right now, I'm looking to watch the fights in Japan and I'm praying that he loses to (Anthony) Pettis because I want a rematch against Joe Lauzon."

- Interview with Ben Henderson (Five Ounces of Pain)

- Pioneers discuss last UFC event in Japan (MMA Fighting)

How long has it been since the UFC held an event in Japan? Put it this way: the last time the Octagon was erected in the Land of the Rising Sun, Dana White had hair, Semaphore Entertainment Group [SEG] had ownership of the UFC, and Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz had something resembling a friendship.

- The Joe Lozito story (MiddleEasy)

On February 12, 2011, Joe entered New York City's subway system en route to work, following a routine he has practiced for years, just like millions of his fellow "straphangers", as they're known locally. What differentiated Joe from everyone else on the train was that his years of watching MMA would ultimately save his life, and the lives of every other man, woman, and child on the train that day.

- Interview with Shannon Lee (Bruce Lee's daughter) (The Fight Nerd)

Shannon Lee talks the new Bruce Lee documentary

- Open discussion: MMA Uncensored Live on the Pride scandel (Fight Opinion)

I'm told that the show will cover the scandal in-depth on a heavy level, which would mean the first time a major US media outlet is discussing the ultimate taboo of the Japanese fight industry (the yakuza).

- Culinary Union calls on NSAC to adopt 'MMA Bill of Rights' (MMA Payout)

In yesterday's Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing, the Culinary Workers Union - who have long apposed the anti-union stance from Zuffa and Station Casino owner's Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta - proposed the MMA "Bill of Rights" to the commission.

- Tito Ortiz and Chuck LIddell's guide to traveling in Japan (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

Traveling to a foreign locale can be stressful for a fighter. No one knows this better than former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Between them, the two MMA legends have fought outside of the United States 10 times, and made dozens of promotional trips to support the sport.

- UFC 144 undercard preview (MMA Convert)

But given that UFC 144 features lightweight champ Frankie Edgar defending his belt against someone not named BJ Penn and Gray Maynard, and there are a whopping seven moderately- to very interesting bouts scheduled for the pay-per-view broadcast, I'd say the UFC's return to Japan could be a pretty good one. As the prelims are going to air on the FX network, and I sure as heck get FX as part of my cable plan, here's a preview of those four preliminary bouts.

- Dana White promises Gilbert Melendez will be happy in Strikeforce (Fightline)

- Quinton Jackson misses Japan fine dining (5thRound)