Joe Silva’s Shoes: What's next for UFC Fight Night 77's winners?

Vitor Belfort

The lineup was strong for the UFC’s return to Sao Paulo, and as they should have, the fighters delivered and produced a memorable night of action.

Saturday’s main card, which aired on FOX Sports 1 from Ibirapuera Gymnasium, had plenty of ups and downs but ultimately ended on a high note for the Brazilian fans because Vitor Belfort (25-11 MMA, 14-7 UFC) scored yet another huge knockout of fellow MMA legend Dan Henderson (34-14 MMA, 8-8 UFC).

Glover Teixeira (24-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) stayed relevant as a 205-pound contender when he stopped Patrick Cummins (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) by second-round TKO in the co-main event. Other main-card winners included Thomas Almeida (20-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Alex Oliveira (13-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Rashid Magomedov (19-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Corey Anderson (7-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).

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.

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Corey Anderson

Should fight: Ovince Saint Preux
Why they should fight: Anderson made it two wins in a row inside the octagon when he battered Fabio Maldonado for three rounds, much to the dismay of the Brazilian fans.

“Beastin’ 25/8” accepted the bout on short notice and dominated Maldonado en route to a unanimous decision. He’s lacked flash in some of his winning performances, but at just 26, there’s plenty of room for Anderson to grow.

There’s no choice but to give “The Ultimate fighter 19” winner another step up after his second-straight victory. Although Saint Preux (18-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) lost to Teixeira in August, he’s still among the upper tier of the 205-pound weight class.

Saint Preux has shown flaws on the ground in several of his UFC appearances. Anderson’s wrestling and ground-and-pound were key contributors in his victory over Maldonado, and “OSP” would be forced to deal with that threat in the matchup.

Rashid Magomedov

Should fight: Gleison Tibau
Why they should fight: Magomedov has done nothing but impress so far in his UFC run, and with just one blemish overall in his entire career, the Russian has shown he’ll be around in the octagon for some time to come.

Magomedov outpointed and outworked formerly undefeated Gilbert Burns to win a decision and move to 4-0 inside the octagon. His performance made it quite clear that big things are ahead for him in the UFC lightweight division.

The 31-year-old is ready to face even bigger-name competition, and Tibau (34-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) is just that.

While Tibau doesn’t have the glowing record of Magomedov, he’s far more battle-tested and has consistently faced far superior competition. Tibau earned a victory on the UFC Fight Night 77 preliminary card to move into third place on the UFC’s all-time wins list. From a credential standpoint, Tibau would provide the sternest challenge “Highlander” has encountered yet.

Alex Oliveira

Should fight: Adriano Martins
Why they should fight: Oliveira and Martins (28-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) were credited with impressive knockout wins at recent UFC events. Both victories stemmed from slick strikes and were among the “Performance of the Night” winning efforts on their respective events.

With three-straight octagon victories, Oliveira has shown he deserves attention in the crowded UFC lightweight division. Martins has already earned a reputation as a durable 155-pound fighter who makes noticeable improvements after each bout.

The winner of this bout is unlikely to show up on any top-15 lists, but the matchup would pit two action fighters against each other and has the ingredients to end in memorable fashion.

Thomas Almeida

Should fight: John Dodson
Why they should fight: Almeida further solidified his status as arguably the top prospect on the UFC roster when he scored yet another highlight-reel knockout, this time against a well-respected fighter in Anthony Birchak.

Almeida has a bright future in the sport. At 24, he shouldn’t be rushed into a title fight. However, at 4-0 under the UFC banner, it’s time to get serious with this extremely talented 135-pound fighter.

Dodson (17-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC), a former two-time flyweight title challenger, recently declared his intentions to move back to 135 pounds, and there’s no better opponent to welcome him back to the weight class than Almeida.

Similar to the Brazilian, Dodson has ridiculous, crippling power in more than one limb. He would be by far the sternest challenge of Almeida’s career, but that’s the way it should be after the run of success “Thominhas” has found in the octagon.

Glover Teixeira

Should fight: Alexander Gustafsson
Why they should fight: Teixeira’s scrambling ability on the ground and heavy hands on the feet led him to a one-sided TKO victory over Cummins and a place back on the list of relevant names in the light-heavyweight division.

After dropping back-to-back fights to then-champ Jon Jones and top contender Phil Davis, the 36-year-old has rebounded in promising fashion with back-to-back victories over Cummins and Saint Preux.

With Jones’ suspension lifted and the title pictured stalled with his inevitable rematch with current 205-pound champ Daniel Cormier, Teixeira’s going to have to continue to work to get attention as a title contender.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, options are limited in his division. Gustafsson (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) may be on a two-fight losing skid, but his outstanding effort in a UFC 192 title fight loss to Cormier pushed his stock in a positive direction.

A standup fight between Gustafsson and Teixeira would be exciting. It would also be very intense because a victory would be crucial for the career trajectory of both men.

Vitor Belfort

Should fight: Tim Kennedy
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Vitor Belfort should fight Kennedy (18-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) next.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 77, check out the UFC Events section of the site.