UFC on Versus 6 fight card: Anthony Johnson vs Charlie Brenneman try to break into welterweight elite

Believe it or not, the UFC welterweight division isn't as loaded as it once was. A few of the bigger names, men like Jake Shields and Thiago Alves, are struggling to gain footing while the weight class is still being ruled with an iron fist by Georges St. Pierre.

That's why it's ripe for the picking for some new talent to rise to the top. 

Tonight (Sat., Oct. 1, 2011) at UFC on Versus 6: "Cruz vs. Johnson," a couple of 170-pound warhorses will attempt to do just that when Anthony Johnson takes on Charlie Brenneman.

No, you won't be blown away by name value but their collective talent is undeniable and being in the right place at the right time is half the battle.

Johnson has fought just once since 2009, a March 26 co-main event battle against British banger Dan Hardy. "Rumble" outclassed the Nottingham knuckler in every aspect of the fight game, knocking him around for three rounds to earn a decision win.

It was the Johnson's fourth win in five fights. Despite the inactivity, that's enough to put him in position to break into the top 10 of the division ... if he can win tonight.

It won't be an easy task.

Brenneman is just four fights into his UFC career but he's 3-1 and has benefited immensely from being in the right place at the right time.

When Nate Marquardt squandered his debut at 170-pounds at UFC on Versus 4, failing his pre-fight drug test, someone needed to step in on just one day's notice to take on an extremely dangerous opponent in Rick Story.

"The Spaniard" stepped up to the plate and hit a home run, controlling "The Horror" for three full rounds on his way to the biggest victory of his career.

The win catapulted him into the welterweight top ten. If he can follow it up with a victory over Johnson, his name will be bandied about for future big money match-ups.

Who will take the leap? Stay tuned.