The lightweight division in mixed martial arts consists of B.J. Penn and everyone else.Sanctioned mixed martial arts fights are one short step from becoming legal in Massachusetts after a bill on the sport sailed through the state's House of Representatives in a 144-10 vote Wednesday afternoon.
Even though he had made mixed martial arts his life, he'd still hear the haters. He'd wake up in the morning to train, eaten healthy, sworn off alcohol, avoided relationships, traveled to events to soak up knowledge and listened to the people who'd already made it.
Kenny Florian has been hanging out recently with the TapouT crew on their nationwide tour, but next week he will head to Montreal, QC, to train at the Tristar Gym for his UFC 107 fight against Clay Guida. 
Firas Zahabi, the head MMA trainer at the Tristar Gym in Montreal, is quickly becoming one of the more respected coaches in MMA. Zahabi was once known primarily for being Georges St-Pierre's trainer but has recently added the likes of Jon Jones, Denis Kang and Kenny Florian to his impressive stable of fighters.It's hard to believe that after last night's split-decision loss to Gray Maynard, fighting could be in the rearview mirror of Roger Huerta's life. Back around the time that the UFC re-emerged into the spotlight of mainstream media, roughly around UFC 66, Huerta became one of the UFC's go-to guys as a front man and fighter. Now, he's likely on the way out.
Because of his decision, Huerta has faced derision and scorn from some fans and insiders, who would like to revise history and say he was never a "real fighter" and was handed opportunities instead of earning them. They say his decision to leave MMA for acting shows that he was never really dedicated to the sport. But the reality is so much deeper.
Kenny Florian confirmed Wednesday that his next fight will come against Clay Guida later this year, saying on Twitter that he will step into the Octagon with Guida at UFC 107 on December 12. Florian told me two weeks ago that he expected to fight Guida at UFC 106, but the fight has now been pushed back three weeks.Right now in Mosul, Iraq, there are soldiers preparing for a different kind of fight. Not the kind with guns and bombs and IEDs. But mixed martial arts.
It's no secret that MMA is wildly popular among the U.S. military, who are taught hand-to-hand combat and share a kinship with the fighters. Many MMA fighters, including BJ Penn, Urijah Faber and Kenny Florian have traveled to the Middle East to visit troops. Others, like Randy Couture, Tim Kennedy and Brian Stann served in the military. And the UFC has even put on shows at U.S. bases to benefit veterans' causes.
But this one is different.
BRISTOL, Conn. -- Kenny Florian is a busy man.
BRISTOL, Conn. – More than a year after ESPN.com launched its MMA Live studio show, the weekly half hour of mixed martial arts news and analysis has reached the point where it just feels like three buddies chatting about the sport they love – as long as the buddies consist of one professional broadcaster, one veteran print journalist and one UFC fighter.
Get the latest coverage on your favorite teams thanks to CBS Radio. Listen Now
