Joe Silva's Shoes: What's next for Ryan Bader and UFC Fight Night 100's other winning fighters?

UFC Fight Night 100’s main card, which aired Saturday on FS1 from Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, featured decisions in four of six bouts.

Ryan Bader’s (22-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) one-sided domination of MMA legend Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (22-8 MMA, 5-6 UFC) was the headlining attraction, and “Darth” closed out his UFC contract by overwhelming his opponent for a third-round TKO.

Five other fighters picked up wins prior to the main event. Thomas Almeida (21-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was the only one who stopped his opponent inside the distance, while Claudia Gadelha (14-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Krzysztof Jotko (19-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Kamaru Usman (9-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Sergio Moraes (11-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) were all forced to win on the scorecards.

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Joe Silva, Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC Fight Night 100’s winning fighters.

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Sergio Moraes

Sergio Moraes

Should fight: Alberto Mina
Why they should fight: Moraes has quietly built up a strong UFC record over the years with just one loss in seven octagon appearances. His fights, including his split-decision win over Zak Ottow, have been largely forgettable, though, which is likely why he hasn’t been given much in the way of notable competition as of late.

Mina (13-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) might not be a big name, but he’s done good work throughout his career to this point, putting together a solid undefeated record which includes consecutive victories over veterans Mike Pyle and Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Similar to Moraes, Mina is a well-rounded fighter who has shown he can win anywhere. Pitting the pair against each other would be a solid welterweight fight on the undercard of almost any future UFC event.

Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman

Should fight: Gunnar Nelson
Why they should fight: Usman dominated fellow welterweight prospect Warlley Alves to move to 4-0 under the UFC banner, further showing why he’s got a lot of hype built around his name. He called out Demian Maia after his win, and while that’s clearly not going to happen at this stage of his career, it shows where Usman thinks he stands in the division.

If Usman earns a few more wins a matchup against someone with Maia’s prestige and ranking will be much more realistic, but that time hasn’t come yet. It’s fair to say he has earned a fight of note, though, and if he can’t get Maia, Nelson (15-2-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC) might be the next best thing.

Nelson’s grappling is extremely dangerous and his striking has come a long way, as well. He was supposed to fight Dong Hyun Kim in the main event of the UFC show in Belfast on the same day as Usman’s win, but an ankle injury forced him out of the fight. Kim has been re-booked for another fight, meaning Nelson will need a different opponent upon his return. It should be Usman.

Krzysztof Jotko

Krzysztof Jotko

Should fight: Chris Weidman
Why they should fight: Rattling off five-straight wins in the UFC middleweight division is no easy task, but Jotko is there, and the latest victory, a unanimous decision win over Thales Leites, was the most significant of his current run.

Beating a former title challenger like Leites helps validate Jotko as a threat at 185 pounds, and although he didn’t do it with style points, Jotko’s winning streak and overall impressive record should set him up for a fight against of the big names in his weight class.

As suggested in “Joe Silva’s Shoes” following UFC 205, a fight with former middleweight champ Weidman (13-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) should be next for Jotko. Weidman is in need of a bit of a step back after experiencing two brutal losses to Yoel Romero and Luke Rockhold in back-to-back fights, and Jotko perfectly fits that description.

Weidman has fought nothing but the biggest and baddest competition in recent years, and while Jotko wouldn’t be a gimme fight for him, it’s certainly a much more winnable matchup than his previous two. That’s a good thing for Weidman, and from Jotko’s perspective, he gets his chance to take his career to the next level.

Claudia Gadelha

Claudia Gadelha

Should fight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Why they should fight: Although Gadelha specifically named former UFC champ Carla Esparza as a desired next opponent following her unanimous decision win over Cortney Casey, there’s another matchup out there that it seems the UFC wants more.

Following Kowalkiewicz’ (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) loss to strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 205 earlier this month, UFC President Dana White said he fancied a pairing between Kowalkiewicz and Gadelha. It makes sense, as the women are the past two challengers to Jedrzejczyk and are eager to get back to the top for another chance.

The loser of this fight would be in a tough spot, but the winner would move very close to the position she wants.

Thomas Almeida

Thomas Almeida

Should fight: Michael McDonald
Why they should fight: Almeida got back on track in a big way after suffering his first career loss to Cody Garbrandt earlier this year when he obliterated an overmatched Albert Morales for a second-round TKO with the help of some precision power-striking.

At just 25, “Thominhas” still has all the potential in the world and if he had ran into almost anyone else but the freight train that is Garbrandt, he might still be undefeated. The loss was likely a good thing for him, though, and now when he gets his next fight against an elite bantamweight, he’s going to be much more prepared for it.

Despite the fact McDonald (17-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is coming off a first-round starching at the hands of John Lineker at UFC Fight Night 91 in July, he is still an elite 135-pound fighter and former title challenger. “Mayday” can crack with the best of them, and pitting him against Almeida is a recipe for a memorable fight and knockout one way or the other.

Ryan Bader

Should fight: Alexander Gustafsson
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Bader should fight Gustafsson (17-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) next after his victory over Nogueira.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 100, check out the UFC Events section of the site.