Joe Silva's Shoes: What's next for Demetrious Johnson and TUF 24 Finale's other winning fighters?

The UFC headed to Las Vegas on Saturday for the 10th time this year with The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort. The event aired on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (25-2-1 MMA, 13-1-1 UFC) headlined the card and defended his belt yet again with a unanimous-decision victory over “TUF 24” tournament winner Tim Elliott (13-7-1 MMA, 2-5 UFC).

Prior to the title fight, 125-pound contender Joseph Benavidez (25-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) made a case for a third shot at champ “Mighty Mouse” when he picked up his sixth consecutive victory since he last faced Johnson.

Also on the main card, Jorge Masvidal (31-11 MMA, 8-4 UFC), Jared Cannonier (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Sara McMann (10-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) and Brandon Moreno (13-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) earned victories over their respective opponents.

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 The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale’s winning fighters.

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Brandon Moreno

Ben Nguyen

Should fight: Ben Nguyen
Why they should fight: Moreno proved his debut upset of Louis Smolka earlier this year was no fluke when he produced a split-decision victory over a tough Ryan Benoit in his sophomore UFC appearance.

At just 22, Moreno could be the future of the flyweight division. He’s earned 10 straight wins, including two in a row to kick off his UFC career, and called for a top-10 opponent for his next outing.

It’d be justified to give Moreno what he wants after what he’s accomplished so far, but a consistent issue over the history of the 125-pound division has been pushing prospects along too quickly. Nguyen (15-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has shown to be a tough customer in every UFC fight so far and is fresh of a quality win over Geana Herrera at UFC Fight Night 101 a week ago. That’s the kind of fighter Moreno should be competing against next.

Sara McMann

Julianna Pena

Should fight: Julianna Pena or Bethe Correia
Why they should fight: The top of the UFC women’s bantamweight division is foggy beyond the upcoming UFC 207 title fight between champ Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey, but after her second-round submission victory over Alexis Davis, one-time title challenger McMann is clearly in the mix.

McMann became the first fighter to submit Davis in MMA competition and finally seems to have some momentum in her UFC career. She called for the winner of Nunes vs. Rousey, but it’s doubtful she gets that fight. It seems Pena (8-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) could be next for a title shot, but if not, a matchup with McMann and “The Venezuelan Vixen” would be big.

If Pena is saved for a title fight, then McMann might have to settle for fighting someone a few steps below, in which case a fight against another former title challenger, Correia (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who is coming off a split-decision win over Jessica Eye at UFC 203, would be a solid backup plan.

Jared Cannonier

Tyson Pedro

Should fight: Tyson Pedro
Why they should fight: A switch in weight class paid dividends for Cannonier, who was successful with a unanimous-decision win over Ion Cutelaba in his light-heavyweight debut after spending his first two UFC fights at heavyweight.

Cannonier is much better suited for the 205-pound division, and though he mentioned the possibility of moving down another 20 pounds to middleweight, that jump down might be pushing it a little too much.

With good striking, a decent ground game and an iron chin, Cannonier is a promising fighter. The same can be said for Pedro (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who earned a solid submission victory over Khalil Rountree in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 101.

Pedro was proposed as a future opponent for the Cannonier vs. Cutelaba fight, and after seeing Cannonier’s performance, that option seems plenty appropriate.

Jorge Masvidal

Johny Hendricks

Should fight: Winner of Johny Hendricks vs. Neil Magny at UFC 207
Why they should fight: Masvidal was putting on a clinic against Jake Ellenberger before a bizarre and somewhat controversial ending that led to a second-round TKO win for “Gamebred.”

Masvidal was essentially having his way with Ellenberger before the toe issue, and regardless of whether the Nevada State Athletic Commission overturns it, he should still get credit for a solid performance.

When he’s on point, Masvidal can be one of the most dangerous fighters in the welterweight division. He specifically requested a fight with Donald Cerrone should he get past Kelvin Gastelum next weekend at UFC 206, but if “Cowboy” were to win that fight, he might be on to bigger matchups than Masvidal.

With that in mind, Masvidal against the winner of Magny (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) and Hendricks (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC), who square off at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, would still be a big opportunity and a chance for Masvidal to elevate himself further up the 170-pound pecking order.

Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez

Should fight: Each other
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Johnson and Benavidez should fight for the third time after their recent victories.

For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.