Give these guys a fighting chance

With the Super Bowl less than a week gone, and the beads and booze of Gasparilla on the horizon, it would be easy to miss another big event that's making its way to Tampa: UFC Fight Night. On Saturday, Spike TV will broadcast the bouts live from the University of South Florida Sun Dome. The showdown features many up-and-coming mixed martial arts stars, including Ultimate Fighter 6 champion Mac Danzig and undefeated heavyweight Cain Velasquez. It's okay if you don't have time to do your homework on the fighters, though. We've got you covered. Here are some things you might not know about the stars of UFC Fight Night. — Tristan Wheelock twheelock@tampabay.com

Joe Lauzon

Lauzon is 16-4 with one knockout and 15 submissions. He fights lightweight Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (16-3) Saturday night.

• Made his UFC debut by knocking out former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver in 48 seconds.

• Graduated from the Wentworth Institute of Technology with a Bachelor's degree in computer science and worked as a network administrator before fighting professionally.

• At 18 years, 7 months and 14 days old, his younger brother Dan was the youngest fighter ever to appear in the UFC.

• Recently became part-owner of Lauzon Mixed Martial Arts, the gym he began his MMA training at when he was 17.

• Has been documenting his training for Saturday's main event against Stephens in a blog for the Boston Herald.

Mac Danzig

Danzig is 19-5-1 with 10 of those wins coming by submission. He fights lightweight Josh "the Dentist" Neer (24-7-1) on Saturday night.

• Has adhered to a vegan lifestyle since 2004.

• Was a caretaker at an animal sanctuary in Pennsylvania before he started fighting.

• Is an avid photographer and has had some of his work published.

• Is a five-time King of the Cage World Lightweight Champion.

• Was voted one of the 25 fittest men in America for 2008 by Men's Fitness magazine.

Cain Velasquez

Velasquez is 4-0 with four knockouts. He fights heavyweight Denis "the Menace" Stojnic (12-1) Saturday night.

• Has won every one of his UFC fights by technical knockout in the first round.

• Was a two-time All-American wrestler for Arizona State University.

• Was named the 2005 Pac-10 conference wrestler of the year, winning 21 matches in a row.

• Worked security in nightclubs before breaking into mixed martial arts.

• Has only been training for a year and a half.

Luigi Fioravanti

Fioravanti is 13-4 with eight knockouts. He fights welterweight Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (6-2) Saturday night.

• Joined the Marine Corps in high school and served in operation Iraqi Freedom.

• Is a Florida native. He grew up in St. Petersburg and fights out of Orlando.

• Began mixed-martial-arts training while still in the Marines and continued to so while stationed in Iraq.

• Has lost count of how many tattoos he has.

• Fought six times in 2006, a higher load than most active fighters.

Denis Stojnic

Stojnic is 12-1 with two wins by knockout. He fights Cain Velasquez (4-0) Satuday night.

• Is a native of Sarajevo.

• Has fought exclusively in Europe and fights in the United States for the first time on Saturday.

• Comes from a family of fighters. His father is a black belt in karate and a four-time Olympic team member; his brother is a mixed martial artist.

• Claims to have always been a fighter, saying, "Even before I started in the cage and ring, I was a street fighter."

• Is a black belt in Sambo, a martial art that was developed in the Soviet Union. Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin also is a practitioner.

Sources: UFC.com, The Boston Herald, Men's Fitness, The MMA Digest.