UFC 41 was the introduction of a New era of UFC fighters and had a clash of old and new at the heart of the show just like the “Vendetta” show before. Ken Shamrock was new again but this time in the broadcast booth alongside Mike Goldman clutching the microphone in place of Jeff Osbourne, a very sultry Lisa Dergan was also on hand doing what Ryan Bennett was doing in recent UFC’s with the exception of UFC Vendetta. Many things had changed since the biggest show in the UFC’s history had wrapped up, some were for the better and some… well, let’s just say some was for the better.

Yves Edwards Vs Rich Clementi

Yves Edwards was clearly in control of this fight from front to back, the more experienced fighter was confident and the times that he was in trouble during this fight were few and far between. He controlled from the outset controlling distance and the clinch when it got in tight with nice combinations that kept Clementi at bay and solid knee’s to the chin of Clementi when things got to close for comfort. Clemeti showed resilience a tough chin and the heart of a Miletich trained competitor but with the exception of one time when Clementi was able to take Edwards down, Yves was dominating from front to back winning the stand up portion of the fight decisively and sprawling effectively to negate any and all takedown attempts. Good balance and quick hands forced the issue until Edwards finally sunk the rear naked choke and finished a very tough Clementi in the third round.

Din “The Dominator” Thomas Vs Matt “The Terror” Serra

This fight came down to Thomas fending Serra off with the jab much of the fight and Serra swinging for the fences every so often in typical aggressive Matt Serra style. His takedown attempts were futile and his double and single leg attempts were easily refuted by Thomas time and time again. In an embarrassing mix-up for the judges, the Scorecard for the decision was tabulated improperly and Matt Serra who lost the fight was declared the winner? The crowd was vocal about their displeasure with the decision and chimed in with loud and booing that filled the arena. Approximately 15 minutes later Bruce Buffer had the unenviable job of getting back into the arena and announcing that their was a mistake. Din Thomas had been declared the winner, but what a heartbreaking 15 minutes it must have been for Din Thomas.

Gan Mcgee Vs Alexandre “Café” Dantes

Gan Mcgee went from fighting and knocking out high profile Pedro Rizzo on the main card at UFC 39 to fighting little known Alexandre “Café” Dantes in a preliminary bout. Dantes was clearly in deep from the outset as he could not overcome the wrestling prowess and weight difference that Gan Mcgee presented. Dantes’s takedown attempts were futile and McGee was able to stifle any offence by the Brazilian with ease. “Café” went for the kill and dropped to the mat working for a leg submission but Gan pummeled Dantes from the top standing position and fed him 3 or 4 shape-shifting power punches that knocked out Dantes with ease early in the first round.

Vladamir “The Janitor” Matyushenko Vs Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo

In one of the slower paced fights on the night, Matyushenko would be able to do what most wrestlers before would be able to do, and that was beat “The Rock” by using the wrestling to control position. The Ground and Pound was clearly his weapon of choice and he used it methodically and resiliently and powered his assault off of his capable takedowns. A cut that opened up on Vladamir’s face appeared be the result of an inadvertent head butt, but in the end it was not a factor and Vladamir was able to control the fight with the exception of a small flurry or two in the latter rounds with both fighters looking weary. Matyushenko wins a Unanimous decision after three rounds.

Phil “The NY Bad Ass” Baroni Vs Matt “The Law” Lindland

In what to many, was the most anticipated bout of the evening, Phil Baroni and his Matt Lindland brought the smack talking and the verbal bantering to a head and ended months of heated exchanges. Lindland would be able to control the bout with the wrestling skills that have brought him this far but did not go unscathed. Phil Baroni brought the big stick with him and drilled Lindland on a couple of occasions but Lindland was able to secure position before attacking and methodically out positioned Phil Baroni with his stronger wrestling background and balanced attack. Baroni looked for the big shot throughout the contest but it never came. Lindland seemed to tire near the end of the third contest and Baroni was able to drive hard punches into the ribs of Lindland to finish strong, but it was too little to late. Lindland would be able to do what he set out to do and defeat Baroni via decision after three exciting and hard fought back and forth rounds.

Kauru Uno vs B.J Penn

Kauru Uno and B.J Penn squared off in a fight that was much different then their 11 second affair at UFC 34 in Las Vegas. That fight was a furious 11 seconds while this fight was a calculated 25 minute back and forth fight that teetered on the edge for both fighters at times. There would be no flying jump kick by Uno this time, and no 11 second knockout for Penn. Round one was all B.J Penn however and he was able to secure side mount, full mount, and back mount at one point or another in the round, all he needed was to secure the half guard and he would have hit for the cycle but it was not mean to be. His positional dominance would not yield a submission however and Uno took control in rounds two and three. He was able to secure several takedowns and worked well from the standup as well, firing off very quick leg kicks that found their mark and kept BJ Penn guessing. Losing the second and third rounds did not sit will with Penn and he came out strong for the final two stanza’s but was unable to finish the crafty Uno. After 5 solid rounds of action the Lightweight Championship fight was declared a draw, and the decision was a controversial one. MMA Ringreport had this fight scored three rounds to two in favor of B.J Penn with B.J Penn winning rounds 1, 4 and 5, and Uno winning rounds 2 and 3, but the judges decisions are what really mattered and it sets up another showdown between the game competitors at a future UFC event.

David “Tank” Abbot Vs Frank Mir

Tank about came into the fight with much fanfare but left a little worse for the wear. Abbott’s return had been hyped since November and but his performance would not be what dreams are made of, as Frank Mir slapped on an ankle perry submission that would force Tank to call a halt to his first venture back into the octagon in years. Mir shot for the takedown right off the bat but Tank’s strong wrestling background was enough to stifle him but Mir went right to the guard. Instead of standing up out of the guard, Tank stayed in the guard, and payed for it. As he escaped an oma plata attempt by Mir, “Tank” had his arm trapped by the Oma Plata and his feet were ripe for the plucking. Mir secured the painful looking footlock and won early in round one.

Ricco Rodriguez Vs Tim “The Grizzly Bear” Sylvia

This fight was much different then many people had anticipated, few gave Sylvia a chance to win the championship bout, and fewer still felt he deserved the shot coming off only one win in the UFC. Sylvia was not deterred however and came with his game face on and the Miletich team behind him. Ricco’s chin had been a question mark before this fight and Sylvia decided he wanted to change the question mark into an exclamation mark with his fists and that is what he did. Ricco could not overcome the sizeable weight difference and was thrown aside by Sylvia everytime he got close enough to clinch. Sylvia looked to be much stronger then the champ and pushed him aside at will, every time he felt the need. Ricco was able to get close with an armbar attempt at one point but Sylvia simply picked him up and dropped him on his head and Ricco had no choice but to release the hold, and that was all the offence that he would muster in this bout. Sylvia caught him with a stinging cross that found the mark and sent Ricco stumbling to the mat. Sylvia saw his opportunity and rushed into the guard and dropped two or three more huge blasts that left the champ unconscious and still on the mat. Sylvia wins the fight at just over the three minute mark of the first round.

Questions that need to be answered

On the whole, UFC 41 was not a bad show, but still not quite as exciting as I would have hoped for. The return of Tank Abbott was front and center and Abbott quickly found out that all that is old is not necessarily new again. Tank was submitted quickly and definitively and left no doubt as to whether he would be able to adjust his game to today’s higher standards. Whether or not he will return is still in the air, but after his post fight speech it was evident by the fans reactions that he was still a fan favorite, win or lose. This UFC actually leaves a lot of questions that need to be answered. First and foremost was the close UFC lightweight Championship bout. The draw between Kauru Uno and B.J Penn, whether or not it was a bad decision, was still technically a draw. Unless something drastic happens a Uno Vs Penn 3 seems like the next logical progression, but do fans really want to see a Uno Vs Penn 3? It was evident that both fighters were well prepared and both had opportunities to end the fight but a third and decisive fight is something I would be interested in watching again. In the Middleweight division, Lindland won his fight with Baroni but with his win and Bustamante reportedly on the way out who does he fight for the belt? Phillip Miller won his last fight at Middleweight, but he has been cut by the UFC and will not be coming back anytime soon. Does the winner between Mark Wier and David “The Crow” Loiseau which is the only Middleweight fight on the UFC 42 card at this point in time get the shot at Lindland for the Vacant belt? That seems an awful lot like the heavyweight debacle with Ricco winning a vacant title and losing to a contender that was not necessarily deserving of the title shot but was the best of what was available. With his loss, Pedro Rizzo has lost two fights in a row and four of his last five fights. Will the UFC cut Rizzo? They have put a lot of time and effort into Rizzo as he has competed for them on 12 occasions and is well known among UFC fans as a knockout artist, but the losing streak is telling, so it is up in the air at this point. Vladamir Matyushenko has won two fights in a row at Heavyweight so when does he get his shot? Sylvia Has just beaten Ricco Rodriguez that some have claimed the UFC had been grooming to be their champion, what step does he have to take to get another shot at the crown? Where does Sylvia go from here? Those questions and many more that I don’t have the time to get into will be answered in the coming months but it is clear that a couple of the divisions in the UFC are rather thin. Did Sylvia deserve the shot at Rodriguez? It is debatable but he was the best of what was available and that there in is the main problem. The UFC needs to groom new blood into the fold, and that was never more evident then on this night.