Friday Afternoon Link Dump

Take a look at the best of the web from the friends of Heavy.com.

Ryan Ford: Fighting for His Family, Redemption, and Respect — Cagepotato.com sat down with Maximum Fighting Championship’s Ryan Ford to discuss his upcoming contest and the three reasons he is compelled to step foot in the cage: family, redemption, and respect. (Cagepotato.com)

Bellator 27 Photo Gallery — Dig into some of the best shots from Bellator 27, including Joe Soto’s showboating prior to getting knocked out at the hands of new champion Joe Warren. You have to hand it to Keith Mills, those are some nice shots. (FightMagazine.com)

Forrest Griffin hoping to fight again before year’s end — Where has Forrest Griffin gone? The former light heavyweight champion has been missing in action for nearly a year now, but he says he wants to get back in the cage before the year is over. (FiveOuncesOfPain.com)

Six UFC Fighters on the Verge — The UFC has several top prospects looking to plow into the top tier of their respective divisions. Lowkick.com takes a look at six of the UFC’s most promising individuals. Check it out to discover who is the “Next Big Thing”. (Lowkick.com)

Junior dos Santos Predicts Who Will Win Between Brock Lesnar And Cain Velasquez — Junior dos Santos may be waiting in the wings to take on the winner of Lesnar vs. Velasquez, but he already thinks he knows the man he’ll have to take the belt from. Check it out over at MiddleEasy.com. (MiddleEasy.com)

KJ Noons: Both Mayweather & Pacquiao Camps ‘Very Interested’ In Proposed Boxing Matches — Make no mistake about it, KJ Noons is serious about his recent comments. The Strikeforce lightweight says that he has contacted the camps of both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao to gauge their interests in stepping in the ring. Allegedly, both fighters seem to love the proposition. (MMAConvert.com)

Backstage With Mauro Ranallo — MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani sits down with Strikeforce commentator Mauro Ranallo, touching on Ranallo’s struggle with depression years ago and how he got his start in broadcasting at the age of 16. (MMAFighting.com)

Georges St. Pierre is Not Impressed with Josh Koscheck’s Trash Talk — UFC welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre is not intimidated by top contender Josh Koscheck and his trash talking ways. GSP plans to make his statement inside the Octagon this December. (MMAScraps.com)

Yves Edwards vs. John Gunderson added to UFN 22 Sept. 15 in Austin — Yves Edwards and John Gunderson are set to step foot inside the cage at “UFC Fight Night 22” in Austin, Texas on September 15. The fight marks Edwards’ return to the promotion after a four year absence. (WatchKalibRun.com)

After Defeating Toney, Does Couture Have One Last Title Run Left? — Randy Couture’s victory over the mixed martial arts version of James Toney seemed to be a walk in the park for “The Natural”. But is he able to make one final run towards another championship in the UFC? (Versus.com/blogs/MMABeat)