From Sherdog
http://www.sherdog.com/articles/ufc41preview/ufc41preview_01.htmYou've got to hand it to them, Zuffa keeps you guessing. They have 5 titles but they don't have 5 champions and each division has its own tale to tell. The welterweight division is the only class with a proven, respected champion and a wealth of talented contenders to keep things interesting. The lightweight division finishes its tournament and names a replacement champion Friday night. The most recent division to likely lose its champion without an actual physical loss in the cage would be the middleweight division and they may have to begin their search for a champion with UFC 42. The current light heavyweight champion simply won't fight the man who will inevitably dethrone him, whether by strip or by beatdown. And finally, the heavyweight division's revolving door spins both forward with a title defense and backward to welcome in a force from the past.
Even with the UFC divisional champions in various stages of disarray, the UFC 41: Onslaught card is a fairly solid one. Dominated by heavyweights, the Onslaught card brings back the two giants currently under contract, the return of the "Tank", a must-win bout for Pedro Rizzo, and the first title defense of newly crowned champion Ricco Rodriguez. UFC 41 also features a number of lightweight bouts. This includes the title bout, what may prove to be the #1 contender bout, and a prelim that could be exciting as well. All this and the Baroni/Lindland rematch to boot.
The entire card looks like this:
Three-time UFC veteran Yves Edwards climbs back into the cage against Octagon neophyte Rich Clementi
Lightweights Matt Serra and Din Thomas work to seed themselves with a win and earn the first shot at the new title holder
SLO Kickboxing's Gan McGee battles Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Alexandre Dantas in his return after more than two years away from the Octagon
Ruas Vale Tudo fighter Pedro Rizzo tries to get back on track when he faces the RAW Team's Vladimir Matyushenko
In a rematch of middleweight contenders, gym nomad Phil Baroni returns to face Team Quest wrestler Matt Lindland
One goes home with UFC gold as B J Penn and Caol Uno battle for the belt in a rematch of their non-title bout at UFC 34
Zuffa goes to the vault to shake things up and brings in David Abbott to face one-time heavyweight title contender Frank Mir
And in the headliner, newly-crown UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez makes his first title defense against Miletich fighter Tim Sylvia
Care for a little more background? Just keep readin' bub
