Joe Silva’s Shoes: What next for UFC Fight Night 57’s winners?

Jose Aldo

The UFC returned to Texas for the third and final time this year with Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 57 event at Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

It was a solid event headlined by a significant featherweight matchup between top contenders Frankie Edgar (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) and Cub Swanson (21-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC). It wasn’t much of a fight, though, as Edgar steamrolled Swanson for four rounds before stopping the fight in the fifth.

Prior to that, Edson Barboza (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), Chico Camus (14-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Joseph Benavidez (21-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and Matt Wiman (16-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) all picked up decision wins while Alexey Oliynyk (50-9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) earned the only main card finish outside of the headliner.

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.

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Matt Wiman

James Vick

Should fight: James Vick
Why they should fight: Fighters returning from a layoff of a year or longer lose roughly 65 percent of the time. After nearly two years away, though, Wiman joined the successful 35 percent with a competitive decision win over Isaac Vallie-Flagg.

Wiman may never break into the top 10, but, as a member of the UFC roster since 2006, he’s proven he’ll always be a competent measuring stick for all level of fighters.

The matchup with Vallie-Flagg featured two gritty, durable veterans. Wiman came out on top in that battle, and now it’s time for a different type of challenge.

Vick (7-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is an undefeated young prospect who’s emerged victorious in all three of his UFC appearances, the most recent of which came against Nick Hein on Saturday’s preliminary card. Vick hasn’t exactly been a world-beater, but he certainly has the fundamental talents to have a successful UFC tenure.

While Wiman would represent the most experienced opponent Vick has ever faced, the result of the bout would reveal many answers about the current state of both men’s careers.

Joseph Benavidez

John Moraga

Should fight: John Moraga
Why they should fight: Benavidez put on arguably the most complete performance of his UFC career with a unanimous-decision win over durable flyweight prospect Dustin Ortiz.

His striking looked better than ever, and while he was unable to get the finish, “Joe-Jitsu” used all 15 minutes to showcase his complete offensive arsenal. The 30-year-old picked apart Ortiz on the feet and got the better of the grappling exchanges en route to his eighth UFC win.

It’s clear at this point Benavidez is a top contender in the flyweight division, but his two losses to champion Demetrious Johnson corner him into a complicated position.

Benavidez’s best path forward is to continue winning against the division’s best and either leave the UFC brass with no choice but to give him another title shot or hope Johnson is defeated by someone else in that timeframe.

One top 125-pound fighter Benavidez has yet to cross paths with is Moraga (15-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC). The 30-year-old has also already been defeated by Johnson, which means he’s on a similar road as Benavidez. He was scheduled to meet Jussier Formiga at UFC on FOX 13 next month, but Formiga withdrew from the event due to injury.

If Benavidez wants a quick turnaround, he could fight Moraga at the Dec. 13 event. However, after a tough three-round fight, he may want some time off. In that case, UFC matchmakers should schedule a matchup with Moraga for a later date.

Alexey Oliynyk

Shawn Jordan

Should fight: Winner of Shawn Jordan vs. Jared Cannonier at UFC 182
Why they should fight: With two UFC wins in a little more than five minutes of cage time, Oliynyk has shown he has violent tendencies inside the octagon.

He scored a quick submission win in his June UFC debut and followed it up with a highlight-reel knockout of Jared Rosholt in his sophomore effort.

At 37, Oliynyk is in a strange spot. He’s clearly talented enough to compete at the UFC level and pick off mid-tier heavyweights, but there’s a slim chance he’d defeat someone like Cain Velasquez or Junior Dos Santos. Luckily for Oliynyk, at least half of the UFC heavyweight division is in a similar spot.

He could fight anyone around his level, and after examining the landscape of the division, the winner of Jordan (16-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC) and promotional newcomer Cannonier (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who meet at UFC 182, would be a suitable fit for Oliynyk’s next bout.

Chico Camus

Wilson Reis

Should fight: Wilson Reis
Why they should fight: The rebirth of Camus’ UFC career started on a positive note when he defeated respected veteran Brad Pickett by split decision in his flyweight debut.

It wasn’t a dominant effort, but Camus arguably still looked better than in any of his previous octagon appearances. His speed and cardio translated well from the bantamweight division.

Defeating Pickett at this stage of his career doesn’t carry the same weight as it would’ve a few years ago, but it was still Camus’ most notable win to date and put him on the map in a thin 125-pound weight class.

Another fighter who recently dropped down from bantamweight and has found success is Reis (19-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC). He’s undefeated since making the move and appears poised to make a run toward the top of the division.

Pitting Camus against Reis would help the winner gain more footing in the division.

Edson Barboza

Benson Henderson

Should fight: Winner of Benson Henderson vs. Eddie Alvarez at UFC Fight Night 59
Why they should fight: Barboza picked up his fifth victory in his past six fights when he earned a unanimous0decision win to snap opponent Bobby Green’s eight-fight winning streak.

If it weren’t for stumbling at key moments, Barboza could easily be 11-0 in the UFC. Instead, he’s 9-2, but he’s still one of the division’s best, as he showed by picking apart Green for three rounds.

There’s no shortage of compelling lightweights for Barboza to challenge. If he wants to continue to move up the rankings, facing the winner of Henderson (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and Alvarez (25-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who meet at UFC Fight Night 59 on Jan. 18, would be a tremendous opportunity to become an instant title-ready challenger.

There’s not much room between the Brazilian and the very top of the weight class. Although Barboza (currently) sits below both men in the rankings, Henderson and Alvarez are not the type to pick fights, so it wouldn’t be difficult to convince the winner to sign for the matchup.

Barboza’s accomplishments inside the octagon can’t be denied. He owns one of the greatest highlight reels in the UFC and has defeated legitimate competition. He’s fallen short in some defining moments in the past, but now that he’s on a roll again, it’s time to see if he’s hit his ceiling or if even greater heights are in store.

Frankie Edgar

Should fight: Jose Aldo
Why they should fight: Edgar seems to recognize he may not be next in line for a UFC title shot, but in reality, he should be.

“The Answer” completely dominated one of the best fighters in the weight class and had little difficult doing so. Aside from a title shot, the 33-year-old doesn’t have many other viable options.

Edgar has earned three consecutive victories at 145 pounds after dropping his divisional debut to Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC). The performance against Swanson was a crown jewel of Edgar’s UFC career, and at this point, he’s earned a rematch with Aldo.

Unfortunately for Edgar, there’s an elephant in the room named Conor McGregor. If McGregor can defeat Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59, it seems the outspoken Irishman will be pushed ahead of Edgar into the No. 1 contender position.

That’s a frustrating situation for Edgar, especially because he just defeated the No. 2 fighter in the division. In terms of accomplishments and credibility, a win over Siver doesn’t provide close to as much value.

If all things were equal, Edgar would be the next to challenge for Aldo’s throne. It’s not guaranteed he’ll be passed over for McGregor (who still must win his fight), but should it happen, there’s a number of fresh, compelling matchups available from Chad Mendes to Ricardo Lamas to Nik Lentz.

For more on UFC Fight Night 57, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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MMAjunkie’s Ben Fowlkes breaks down Saturday’s main event between Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson:

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