Joe Silva's Shoes: What's next for 'Cyborg' and UFC Fight Night 95's other winning fighters?

UFC Fight Night 95’s main card, which aired Saturday on FS1 from Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil, featured stoppages in five of six bouts.

Cristiane Justino’s (17-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) one-sided domination of Lina Lansberg (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the catchweight headliner was the main attraction, and “Cyborg” lived up to expectations with a brutal beatdown of her Swedish foe.

Five other fighters picked up wins prior to the main event. Renan Barao (34-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) was the only one who didn’t stop his opponent inside the distance, but Roy Nelson (22-13 MMA, 9-9 UFC), Francisco Trinaldo (21-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC), Eric Spicely (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Godofredo Pepey (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) accomplished that feat.

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 for UFC Fight Night 95’s winning fighters.

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Godofredo Pepey

Alex Caceres

Should fight: Alex Caceres
Why they should fight: Pepey produced yet another first-round finish when he tapped out Mike De La Torre in a little more three minutes of wild featherweight action.

His fights aren’t loaded with textbook technique, but Pepey consistently entertains. He’s also won four of his past five fights, all in the first round, with the only setback coming against one of the division’s most difficult style matchups in Darren Elkins.

Pepey has yet to prove himself against a top-tier opponent at 145 pounds, but he’s on his way. Caceres (12-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) showed how good he can be in a split-decision loss to surging contender Yair Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 92, but he still came out on the wrong end and needs to get back on track.

“Bruce Leeroy” is the antithesis of Pepey in that he takes pride in fighting with a disciplined and tactical approach. A matchup with the reckless Brazilian would make for an unpredictable outcome.

Eric Spicely

Nate Marquardt

Should fight: Winner of Nate Marquardt vs. Tamdan McCrory at UFC Fight Night 96
Why they should fight: In what was unquestionably the most pressure-filled moment of his career, Spicely came up huge when he submitted 8-1 betting favorite Thiago “Marreta” Santos in the first round of their middleweight clash.

Spicely survived Santos’ striking storm and forced the fight into a grappling exchange where he could thrive. That’s when he capitalized and locked in a tight rear-naked choke that left his opponent with no choice but to tap out.

According to the UFC’s rankings, Santos was No. 15 in the 185-pound division, and Spicely said he should take his spot before asking for a bout against the next contender above him. Rankings don’t exactly work that way, but he did prove himself worthy of another significant matchup.

The winner of next weekend’s UFC Fight Night 96 bout between notable veterans Marquardt (34-16-2 MMA, 12-9 UFC) and McCrory (14-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is that. Neither man is ranked, but they have plenty of experience, and more importantly, the name value to help advance Spicely’s career.

Francisco Trinaldo

Beneil Dariush

Should fight: Winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Rashid Magomedov at UFC Fight Night 98
Why they should fight: Trinaldo continued to roll in the UFC lightweight division when he picked up his seventh consecutive victory with a second-round TKO of Paul Felder due to a gruesome cut.

“Massaranduba” has been solid in recent years while finding ways to win time and time again and showing improvement with each fight. At 38, that’s nothing short of impressive. Despite his streak, Trinaldo said he’s aware he’s not yet considered a title contender, but he certainly wants to prove he is.

Dariush (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Magomedov (19-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) are set to face off at UFC Fight Night 98 in Mexico City on Nov. 5, with the winner primed for a rightful position inside the upper echelon of the 155-pound division. Trinaldo is eager to break into that realm, and considering his recent run, he’d be more than deserving to fight whoever comes out of that bout on top.

Roy Nelson

Andrei Arlovski

Should fight: Andrei Arlovski
Why they should fight: Nelson and Antonio Silva were both in serious need of a victory, but only one man could have his hand raised. It was “Big Country” who connected with a second-round knockout courtesy of an uppercut followed by ground strikes.

Nelson has been inconsistent at best during his UFC career, but if not for a controversial split-decision loss to Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night 90 in July, he’d be on a three-fight winning streak. As usual Nelson asked for a title shot in his next fight. However, he’s in no position to make such demands, but he will get another key name in his weight class.

Arlovski (25-13 MMA, 14-7 UFC), a former heavyweight champion, most recently appeared in the octagon when he lost to Josh Barnett at UFC Fight Night 93 earlier this month. Although some have mentioned retirement for Arlovksi, he’s made it clear he wants to continue. That means it’s time for a long-awaited rematch with Nelson, whom he beat by stoppage at an EliteXC event in October 2008 after a questionable standup from the referee set up a knockout win for “The Pitbull.” Nearly eight years later, it’s time to put Nelson and Arlovski together again and hope for an undisputed outcome.

Renan Barao

Darren Elkins

Should fight: Darren Elkins
Why they should fight: It wasn’t the most spectacular showing, but former UFC bantamweight champ Barao picked up his first featherweight win with a methodical performance and a unanimous-decision win over “The Ultimate Fighter 8” finalist Phillipe Nover.

Barao hasn’t looked the same since T.J. Dillashaw twice beat him in 135-pound title fights. The win over Nover may help Barao gain back his confidence, though, and help him return to his previous, more devastating form.

Barao arguably got a softball matchup against Nover, and while a step up in competition is due, anything too high up the 145-pound rankings seems inappropriate. Elkins (21-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) sits just outside the top 10, and with a three-fight winning streak, he’s worthy of a high-profile matchup against an ex-titleholder such as Barao. Moreover, his grinding and relentless style causes issues for almost everyone he fight, and Barao would have to find his way to deal with it.

Cristiane Justino

Should fight: Germaine de Randamie
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why “Cyborg” should fight de Randamie (6-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) next after her second UFC victory.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 95, check out the UFC Events section of the site.