Joe Silva’s Shoes: What next for UFC 178’s winners?

The UFC returned to pay-per-view on Saturday for the ninth time this year with UFC 178 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

A UFC flyweight championship fight headlined the card and saw champ Demetrious Johnson (21-2-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) defend his belt with a second-round submission victory over massive underdog Chris Cariaso (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC).

Prior to the main event, a number of entertaining and meaningful fights rounded out the main card as Donald Cerrone (25-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC) took home yet another UFC win, Conor McGregor (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) scored a knockout, and Yoel Romero (9-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Cat Zingano (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) picked up dramatic third-round finishes.

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Joe Silva and Sean Shelby’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker.

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Cat Zingano

Should fight: Ronda Rousey
Why they should fight: Few fighters have dealt with more in the past year than Zingano. And after a 17-month layoff from competition, “Alpha” returned to the octagon and scored an impressive comeback victory over Amanda Nunes (watch the Zingano vs. Nunes video highlights).

With the win, Zingano once again solidified her status as No. 1 contender in the women’s bantamweight division. Now it comes down to when, not if, she’ll face Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) for the strap.

The 32-year-old was clearly hindered by the time off as she came out rusty in the opening round and was nearly stopped with strikes. Zingano displayed incredibly durability, though, and rallied to dominate Nunes in the second frame and finished the job in the third.

Zingano’s ability to overcome injuries and the tragic passing of her husband/head coach is one of the feel-good stories of the year. She somehow managed to push aside all her hardships and is now set to challenge Rousey for the women’s 135-pound title, possibly as soon as UFC 182.

Yoel Romero

Should fight: Winner of Lyoto Machida vs. C.B. Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 58
Why they should fight: While Romero’s win over Tim Kennedy is overshadowed by controversy, the fact remains the Cuban still owns an unblemished UFC record through five octagon appearances (watch the Romero vs. Kennedy video highlights).

It remains to be seen if Romero’s third-round TKO finish will stand after a suspect incident between rounds, but if the Nevada State Athletic Commission upholds the result, “The Soldier of God” is in line for a massive middleweight matchup.

Romero is in striking distance of a title shot, and a win over the victor of UFC Fight Night 58’s main event between Machida (21-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) and Dollaway (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) would have set him up with the credentials to jump into a championship fight.

With only 10 pro fights to his name, Romero’s progression in MMA thus is remarkable. He’s finished all but one of his career victories by knockout, and his combination of explosive striking and world-class wrestling would be a handful for anyone in the division.

Conor McGregor

Should fight: Winner of Ricardo Lamas vs. Dennis Bermudez at UFC 180
Why they should fight: There’s no denying McGregor has backed up his talk four fights into his UFC career. And while he may be poised for a future featherweight title shot after a first-round knockout of Dustin Poirier (watch the McGregor vs. Poirier video highlights), his goal to capture the UFC belt before year’s end will be thwarted by timing.

With 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo set to put his belt up for grabs against Chad Mendes next month at UFC 179, the timeframe for a McGregor title shot this year doesn’t line up. That’s unless someone suffers an injury, which isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility.

The Irishman may have to take one more fight before getting a crack at the belt, and the opponent most capable of revealing more of McGregor’s unknown skills would be the winner of Lamas (14-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Bermudez (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who collide at UFC 180 in November.

Both fighters have the wrestling ability to challenge McGregor. Bermudez and Lamas carry a pace that’s difficult for any featherweight to handle. But if McGregor could turn back that particular challenge, he’d be validated on a new level.

Donald Cerrone

Should fight: Khabib Nurmagomedov
Why they should fight: If it weren’t for a knee injury, Nurmagomedov (22-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) would have likely served as Cerrone’s UFC 178 opponent instead of Eddie Alvarez. The matchup unfortunately fell through, but now that “Cowboy” defeated Bellator’s former champion by decision (watch the Cerrone vs. Alvarez video highlights), there are few hurdles preventing a matchup with Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov is in the midst of one of the sport’s great winning streaks. He’s 22-0, and a win over Cerrone would move “The Eagle” closer to a title fight.

The same can be said for Cerrone, who, after taking out Alvarez for his fifth consecutive UFC win, has proven he’s a legitimate title contender. Cerrone has made a run at the title before and come up short in crucial bouts, but at his current stage, the 31-year-old seems capable of defeating anyone at 155 pounds.

While a number of lightweights are a win or two away from having an valid argument for a title shot, there’s no doubt the winner of Cerrone and Nurmagomedov would be at the top of the list to challenge the winner of Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez for the belt next year.

Demetrious Johnson

Should fight: Winner of Ian McCall vs. John Lineker at UFC Fight Night 56
Why they should fight: Johnson earned his fifth consecutive title defense with a second-round submission of Cariaso (watch the Johnson vs. Cariaso video highlights). After his win, Johnson said he’s targeting a break from competition until 2015.

That works out perfect for the UFC because, at this point, the flyweight division has no clear contender to challenge for Johnson’s throne.

The fighter with the best argument for a shot at “Mighty Mouse” would be the winner of UFC Fight Night 56’s showdown between McCall (13-4-1 MMA, 2-2-1 UFC) and Lineker (24-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC).

Even though Johnson already had a two-fight series with McCall in 2012 and emerged without a defeat, an argument can be made those two fights were his most competitive since he dropped to flyweight. McCall’s combination of sharp muay Thai and strong wrestling presents a tough matchup for Johnson.

Lineker has been in pursuit of a title shot for several years. It’s possible he would’ve already got it if not for a series of weight-cutting mishaps. However, his past few fights have indicated those problems are resolved, and if he can avoid further issues and parlay it with a win over McCall, he’s a logical choice to challenge Johnson.

For complete coverage of UFC 178, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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