From Georgia to Jersey, 2007 could be known as the "Year of the Pitbull."

For Renzo Gracie's (Pictures) New York Pitbulls, there were no federal agents rolling up at the Meadowlands to whisk them away from the Tokyo Sabres. Instead the International Fight League squad had to battle it out in the ring while missing three key members.

Injuries kept Erik Owings (Pictures), Fabio Leopoldo (Pictures) and Jamal Patterson (Pictures) off the card, but their alternates came out strong, winning two of three fights to help preserve New York's IFL championship hopes.

Gracie will walk into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on Thursday with only two of his starters (Leopoldo and Heleno) ready to take on the returning IFL champions, who will feature four of their starting five from last year's title-winning team.

Under normal circumstances it would be natural to think Heleno and Leopoldo have to bear the burden of carrying their team while hoping to get one more win from the rest of their patchwork quilt-like squad.

Poor Pitbulls, you say? Not so fast.

In the heavyweight slot for the Pitbulls will be Ricco Rodriguez (Pictures) -- yes, the former UFC heavyweight champion who has been missing from the top shows for years now.

The IFL could be the perfect setting for Rodriguez to stage a comeback. The promotion's heavyweight division has been owned and operated by the Silverbacks' Ben Rothwell (Pictures). Depending on which Rodriguez shows up -- the world-class one or his overweight foil -- this could be a major fight for both athletes.

If Rodriguez shows up in shape, Rothwell will get the test he's been waiting for. A win over a prepared Rodriguez would punctuate the fact that the Miletich-trained fighter is a heavyweight force beyond the IFL. Likewise, if Rodriguez beats his up-and-coming opponent, he will have rejoined the mix of quality heavyweights. Either way the former champ is a solid last-minute replacement.

Most IFL teams wouldn't even want to put their starter against Mike Ciesnolevicz (Pictures). However, Andre Gusmao (Pictures), the Pitbulls' substitute, holds a win over the Silverbacks' light heavyweight.

Although Ciesnolevicz, 13-2, has surely improved over the past year, Gusmao probably hasn't been sitting on his hands either. If anything, Gusmao, 4-0, still has more to prove and could use another win over Ciesnolevicz as a launching pad.

In the lightweight fight, Deividas Taurosevicius (Pictures) replaces Owings. The Pitbulls have nothing to complain about here either.

Taurosevicius came up huge for New York when he out-boxed Savant Young (Pictures) in the semifinals. The Silverbacks' Bart Palaszewski (Pictures) has been an IFL standout, but he won't have an easy time with the well-rounded Lithuanian.

Leopoldo faces Ryan McGivern (Pictures), whom he has beaten before. In that first bout, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt showcased his slick submission game, capitalizing on a McGivern mistake to win via kneebar.

Before the submission, however, the former University of Iowa wrestler was roughing up Leopoldo, who will need to use the same patience to weather McGivern's storm. He can't expect his revenge-minded opponent to leave his limbs unattended this time.

Heleno, on paper, should have an easier time on Thursday than if the Silverbacks' Rory Markham (Pictures) had not dropped off the card. Jake Ellenberger (Pictures) replaces Markham, and the Nebraskan welterweight also has heavy hands.

Then again, Heleno hasn't had trouble with stand-up fighters. In fact he hadn't had any trouble at all until he ran into Antonio McKee (Pictures), who is just too hard to control on the ground. If Heleno gets Ellenberger on the mat early, he'll deliver a strong performance to his team.

The Pitbulls lack of luck could work out for them. While the Silverbacks do return four of their starting five from last year's championship team, Renzo Gracie (Pictures)'s piecemeal squad appears to match up well against the defending champs.