Latest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of January 29, 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 Gina Carano and Nick Diaz 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 speaks with reputed kickboxer Tyrone Spong, Cage Potato scores an interview with Miesha Tate and Bleacher Report speaks with Ed Herman.

The full list of links is after the jump.

- Interview with kickboxer Tyrone Spong (LowKick)

"I hadn't fought for a long time, but it still went well. I felt good. Getting the W is most important, but I think it lived up (to expectations). At the same time, I expected a little more from (Manhoef). I was expecting him to show a little more aggressiveness and try to get at me, but he was a little bit easy. I hit him with a few good shots and I think he got scared."

- Exclusive: Miesha Tate dishes on respect, revenge and Ronda Rousey (Cage Potato)

"I think the people that are so quick to jump on Ronda's bandwagon are not necessarily the true or more educated fans. Anyone can see that there's so many things that haven't been exposed about her and so many things in question. Her coming into the scene with such a brash sense of the way she likes to market things is whatever. I personally like a more humble approach. For her to be the new face of MMA, she still has a lot to prove for people to even consider that. Let's see what she can do March 3. If it goes the way I think it's going to go, she'll basically be just a flash in the pan."

- Fabricio Werdum ready to strike the whole time if he needs to (Five Ounces of Pain)

When Fabricio Werdum first entered MMA he was known purely as a grappler based on his well-documented success in BJJ. However, when he enters the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 143 he'll do so as a polished pugilist who is as comfortable knocking an opponent out as he is with submitting him. The evolution of Werdum's game is a direct product of his relationship with Chute Boxe, now Kings MMA

- Josh Koscheck hopes Georges St. Pierre never returns (video) (MMA Fighting)

Josh Kosheck talks about his UFC 143 fight against Mike Pierce, his initial thoughts when Pierce called him out, his thoughts on Pierce, why he hopes Georges St-Pierre never returns to MMA, and his prediction on Diaz vs. Condit.

- Nick Diaz claims Georges St. Pierre is the one acting crazy (5thRound)

- War Machine returns to jail for another year (MiddleEasy)

"Seems my year in jail wasnt enough. Just got sentenced to another year in Vegas for some old bullshit. Nevermind Im rehabilitated. Nevermind Ive been out for over 6 months now and doing great and am finally back on my feet. Nevermind all my students that will miss me. Do another year and rot n waste time. Make no money, pay no taxes. Whatever, I just hope my boy @bensaundersMMA wins @BellatorMMA tournament."

- State Attorney General admits amateur MMA is not banned in New York (The Fight Nerd)

The battle for MMA in NY just got a bit more interesting! Two months after Zuffa Entertainment filed a lawsuit against the New York State Attorney General on the grounds that the state's ban on MMA is a violation of First Amendment rights, the plaintiffs predictably responded with a move to dismiss. This tidbit of info comes from page 21 of the New York State Attorney General's motion to dismiss, which states that while professional MMA may be illegal in The Big Apple, amateur MMA is technically not.

- Dr. Margaret Goodman's challenge to the UFC on drug testing (Fight Opinion)

The UFC professes that MMA can hold its own against any sport. If true, then why are boxers the only professional combat sports athletes in the world willing to undergo stringent PED exams? Yes, this isn't free; it isn't cheap, but it is the right thing.

- FTC ends UFC investigation regarding Strikeforce purchase (MMA Payout)

Earlier today, Josh Gross from ESPN.com broke the news that the Federal Trade Commission has closed a non-public investigation into the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce as of last week.

- Ed Herman: I was afraid I'd never fight again (BleacherReport.com/MMA)

"The first injury I had I was pretty bummed out. I had to get surgery, but I was confident that I could and would make a comeback," stated Herman. "But, then I re-injured it again in my fight against Aaron Simpson at UFC 102 and really questioned if I would ever make the return."

- Why Carlos Condit is worthy (MMA Convert)

Condit has only lost once in the UFC, and that was via a razor-thin split decision to Martin Kampmann at a UFC Fight Night back in 2009 - which was Condit's UFC debut. Since then, he's decisioned Jake Ellenberger, and put away the likes of Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim. All of those finishes were explosive, with two resulting in "Knockout of the Night" bonuses and one a "Fight of the Night" bonus. If the bosses throw you extra cheddar, you must be doing your job very right.

- Strikeforce: Tate vs Rousey adds Ronaldo Souza vs Derek Brunson (Fightline)

Derek Brunson will test his undefeated record against former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey. Brunson confirmed the fight on his Twitter account Thursday.