ESPN's MMA Live, Episode 3

ESPN continues to produce quality results right out of the gate with the third installment of their fledgling online-only MMA news show. The panel of Jon Anik, Kenny Florian and Franklin McNeil seems to be gelling nicely; if nothing else, it's helping the UFC to groom Florian as an even more likable TV personality. (One gets the feeling he'll be with The Company for a long time to come.)

While the graphics, music and transitions obviously aren't on SportsCenter level, they're good enough to make HDNet's often awkward Inside MMA feel like cable access. And given the UFC's usual vice grip on its video footage, it's pretty impressive ESPN managed to get access to their clips while still covering show topics such as the Couture/Zuffa lawsuit. (Kenny's obviously been working on his poker face.)

Some notes from the episode:

- Josh Barnett, Matt Lindland and Pat Miletich all chime in on the Kimbo Slice hullaballoo. While Barnett had praise for Kimbo as a hard working prospect, Lindland and Miletich seemed more dubious, with Miletich opining that the 2-0 Kimbo "has to fight somebody of quality MMA ability, one of the Top 10 guys in the world, so we can see if he really knows how to fight in our arena."

- Florian mentions that he spoke with Keith Jardine's camp following Jardine's loss to Wanderlei Silva last Saturday, and that "leg kicking was definitely not part of the gameplan."

- Anik threw in what I thought was a funny, subtle reference to mailing in a press credential application for the UFC's rumored Hawaii event.

- In the weekly "MMA For Dummies" segment, Bas Rutten predicts a forthcoming renaissance for neck cranks.

- I'm not at all familiar with Franklin McNeil's writing (I'm told his boxing work is held in high esteem), but after watching this episode I do know that he wants Kimbo Slice to "go back to being the Kimbo Slice from YouTube" (say huh now?), that he likes to say "Yoshiyuki Yoshida," and that he felt BJ Penn was impressive in defending his middleweight title.

- That email address again is MMALIVE@ESPN.com. Send your comments to MMALIVE@ESPN.com. One more time, MMALIVE@ESPN.com. (Well, at least it's nice to know they care.)