Joe Silva’s Shoes: What's next for UFC 192’s losing fighters?

Alexander Gustafsson

(ALSO SEE: Joe Silva’s Shoes: What’s next for UFC 192’s winning fighters?)

Defeats are rarely easy for fighters to accept. For UFC 192’s losing competitors, however, they can take solace in the fact none was knocked out or submitted at Saturday’s pay-per-view event at Houston’s Toyota Center.

Alexander Gustafsson (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) gave light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) everything he could handle in the main event, but he was unable to dethrone the champ in a split-decision loss.

Rashad Evans (19-4-1 MMA, 14-4-1 UFC), Shawn Jordan (18-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC), Ali Bagautinov (13-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Jessica Eye (11-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) also went the distance and suffered decision losses.

After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters 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 192’s losing fighters.

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Jessica Eye

Sarah Kaufman

Should fight: Loser of Sarah Kaufman vs. Germaine de Randamie at UFC on FOX 17
Why they should fight: Just when Eye appeared to turn momentum in her favor against Julianna Pena, a costly point deduction changed everything, and she suffered a unanimous-decision loss for her second consecutive defeat.

Eye pushed “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner to her brink over the course of three rounds, but the end result was another loss that pushed her further down the 135-pound pecking order.

“Evil” has been matched against fighters with strong grappling credentials in her past two fights. A matchup against a striker could increase her odds of bouncing back with a win. Kaufman (17-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and de Randamie (5-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who fight at UFC on FOX 17 in December, are both strikers and would be willing to oblige Eye in a stand-up battle.

Ali Bagautinov

John Moraga

Should fight: John Moraga
Why they should fight: After a more than one-year layoff due to a suspension for a banned substance, Bagautinov returned to the octagon and showed few moments of greatness against fellow former flyweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez.

Bagautinov delivered an uninspired three-round performance en route to a unanimous-decision loss and has now dropped back-to-back fights for the first time.

The Dagestan-born fighter must reassess what’s necessary to get past the division’s top contenders, especially because he’s almost guaranteed to face another one in his next bout.

Moraga’s (16-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) another ranked 125-pound fighter who’s coming off a loss to Benavidez. “Chico” has four stoppage victories in the weight class and would bring the fight to Bagautinov in what would be a must-win affair for both.

Shawn Jordan

Roy Nelson

Should fight: Roy Nelson
Why they should fight: Jordan’s three-fight winning streak came to an end when he crossed paths with the technically superior striking of surging heavyweight Ruslan Magomedov.

Jordan’s UFC career has consisted of ups and downs, but as is the case at heavyweight, a jump back to relevance is just one victory away. A matchup with Nelson (20-12 MMA, 7-8 UFC) could be Jordan’s opportunity.

Nelson is on a three-fight losing skid and has just one victory in his past six contests after he dropped a unanimous decision to Josh Barnett at UFC Fight Night 75.

Although Nelson’s recent record shows poor results, he’s constantly paired against the best in the division. “Big Country” deserves a chance to rebound against a lesser-ranked opponent, and Jordan is exactly that.

Alexander Gustafsson and Rashad Evans

Rashad Evans

Should fight: Each other
Why they should fight: Gustafsson and Evans ultimately landed in the losers’ column at UFC 192, but their respective performances couldn’t have been any different.

Gustafsson pushed Cormier to the limit for five rounds before losing a split decision in the championship main event. Evans, on the other hand, turned in a lackluster effort against Ryan Bader in the co-headliner and lost a unanimous decision in his first bout in nearly two years.

In the past “The Mauler” and “Suga” have expressed reservations about their fighting futures after individual hardships. Neither fighter provided public comment after their respective defeats, so whether those reservations have returned remains to be seen.

If both athletes decide to compete again in the future, a matchup between the 205-pound fighters would be a high-stakes affair that would launch the winner back into title contention.

For complete coverage of UFC 192, check out the UFC Events section of the site.