Joe Silva’s Shoes: What next for UFC Fight Night 41’s winners?

The UFC Fight Night 41 main card was an underdog’s delight as Germany’s O2 World Berlin was the scene of three upset victories in a span of just four fights.

The lone favorite to emerge with his hand raised was the one in the most important fight of the night. Gegard Mousasi (35-4-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) earned his first middleweight victory since 2008 with a quick and decisive first-round submission win over Mark Munoz (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to take a place among the 185-pound division’s top title contenders.

Mousasi’s victory may have been somewhat expected, but the winning performances by C.B. Dollaway (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), Sean Strickland (15-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Niklas Backstrom (8-0 MMA 1-0 UFC) were not. All three betting underdogs came through with the upsets, and in the process, they moved one step up the ladder in the world’s most competitive organization.

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’s (and Sean Shelby’s) shoes, and play UFC matchmaker.

* * * *

NIKLAS BACKSTROM
Should fight: Maximo Blanco
Why they should fight: Backstrom opened the main card with the biggest upset of the night from a betting perspective when he choked out highly touted Tom Niinimaki in the first round.

The Swedish fighter appears to be the type who enjoys a fan-friendly brawl, and if that’s indeed the case, his perfect next opponent fought just minutes before him on the same card.

Blanco (10-6-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) was in desperate need of a win, and he got the job done in Berlin with an entertaining decision victory over Andy Ogle. “Maxi” has a reputation for unpredictable fights, and there’s no doubt he would push Backstrom to his limit.

SEAN STRICKLAND
Should fight: Nordine Taleb
Why they should fight: Despite the fact Strickland was undeserving of the controversial split-decision victory he received over Luke Barnatt, the 23-year-old remains undefeated in his MMA career and has the potential for a bright future in the UFC.

Strickland still has a lot to work on, and even with a 15-0 record, UFC officials should bring him along slowly. The American has already fought two veterans of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, so why not continue the trend?

Another 185-pound fighter who recently entered the UFC through the show is Taleb (9-2 MMA 1-0 UFC). He’s a longtime veteran who is unlikely to make it to the championship level, but he has the skills and experience to test a much younger opponent like Strickland.

C.B. DOLLAWAY
Should fight: Constantinos Philippou
Why they should fight: Many doubted Dollaway’s ability to turn his UFC career into something substantial after his second place finish on “TUF 7.” If any of those doubters remained, they were silenced by Dollaway’s win over Francis Carmont, which is now the defining name on his resume through 14 UFC appearances.

The victory wasn’t the most exciting, but Dollaway could easily be 5-0 in his past five fights if not for a controversial decision loss to Tim Boetsch at UFC 166. He now has the top-15 win he was looking for, which means only big fights are ahead for “The Doberman.”

With most of the UFC’s top-15 middleweights booked for fights, coming off a loss, injured or simply ranked too low, the 30-year-old may not get the jump in competition he’d like. However, there are still matchups of significance out there, and an opponent like Philippou (13-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) fits the bill.

Philippou has struggled with talented grapplers throughout his career, and Dollaway would undoubtedly test his improvement in that area. Offensively, Philippou’s boxing skills present a threat to Dollaway, who has become increasingly willing to fight on his feet.

Should this bout come to fruition, look for the winner to be matched up with someone in the top tier of the middleweight class.

GEGARD MOUSASI
Should fight: Tim Kennedy
Why they should fight: Mousasi vs. Kennedy (18-4 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was proposed as the fight to make following Kennedy’s walloping of Michael Bisping in April, and after seeing how Mousasi dismantled Munoz, it’s an even more compelling matchup.

The big question for Mousasi against Munoz was whether he could stop the takedowns. Munoz did have brief success, but Mousasi stayed on his feet for a majority of the contest, picked his shots and got the finish.

Kennedy shares a lot of the same strengths as Munoz; however, he puts them to better use in MMA competition. His relentless style and fearless attitude would push the typically lackadaisical Mousasi out of his comfort zone. Moreover, he appears to be in the midst of his prime while Munoz is on an ugly skid downward.

Mousasi said in his post-fight interview with Dan Hardy that he’d like to fight either Kennedy or Luke Rockhold next. Either one is perfectly acceptable, but since Kennedy also called for the Mousasi-Munoz winner in April, this fight kind of makes itself.

For more on UFC Fight Night 41, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.