UFC 131 Fight Card Interview: "Hands of Stone" Ready for Edwards

It's fight week in Vancouver as UFC 131 rolls this Saturday night at the home of the Vancouver Canucks, the Rogers Arena.

The card is headlined by heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Shane Carwin, but the fight I'm looking forward to just as much is Canadian lightweight Sam Stout taking on veteran, all-around fighter Yves Edwards.

I had a chance to speak with "Hands of Stone" by phone this morning before the open workouts for UFC 131 and get his thoughts on his upcoming fight. Here are some highlights.

Training Camp In Vegas

"I have been holding my camps in Vegas for about five or six years now, my brother in law Shawn Tompkins is the head trainer at the Tapout Gym there. It sounds kinda weird I know but I can get away from some of the distractions I get at home in Vegas. My camp was amazing. I started it a bit early in London this camp because I was helping Mark Hominick get ready for UFC 129, and I just kept going right from there."

Hominick-Aldo at UFC 129

"It was a real roller coaster ride of emotions, I was in the third row and it went back and fourth from scared one minute to screaming my head off the next, and you know the feelings that people had on that fight were just magnified for me being so close to Mark." 

His fight being on the preliminary card and not the main card

I asked Sam about his fight's slot on the card because I was a bit disappointed that his fight with Edwards is not on the main card. It is, however, on the free televised portion of the card, and Stout is certainly okay with that.

"I'm not too worked up or disappointed in it at all," he said. "As long as people back home can see the fight somehow, I'm fine wherever I am on the card. Sometimes the televised portion goes out to more fans so I am cool with where I am."

On What he expects Yves Edwards to bring on Saturday night

"Edwards brings an all around game and a bit of everything when he fights and I'm ready for him. He's been around for a long time, he can punch, kick, he can grapple. He's very sound everywhere and his defense is excellent, he doesn't put himself in danger and let himself get hit flush too often. I'm going to come out and try to use what I feel is my size and strength advantage, try to push him around a bit. He is a bit of a smaller guy at 155."

If he is victorious on Saturday, will he take the microphone and call out his next victim?

"No, you know, that's not really how I roll and I'm so focused on Edwards, honestly, I have not even thought about who I want to face next."

Sam Stout is one of the best fighters in the lightweight division and he is ready to put on a show like he always does when he steps in the Octagon. Fans everywhere, be sure not miss it as it will surely be one of the best fights on the card.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 131, including the latest UFC 131 results, fight card analysis, UFC 131 news and live reaction from Vancouver.

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Feature Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA (Also a Correspondent for MMACanada.net).

Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma