Joe Silva's Shoes: What's next for UFC Fight Night 69's winners?

Jessica Aguilar

UFC Fight Night 69 marked the organization’s fourth event in Germany, and all eyes were on women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who stole the show with her third-round TKO of Jessica Penne (12-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) to retain the title.

Jedrzejczyk overwhelmed Penne with a relentless onslaught of strikes until the finish arrived. Her performance, which streamed on UFC Fight Pass from O2 World Berlin, was the most memorable of the four-fight main card, which also saw Tatsuya Kawajiri (34-8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Peter Sobotta (15-4-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Nick Hein (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) leave with wins.

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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Nick Hein

Efrain Escudero

Should fight: Efrain Escudero
Why they should fight: Although it wasn’t the most impressive of fights, Hein got a UFC win in his native Germany with a decision victory against the formerly undefeated Lukasz Sajewski.

One lightweight who did impress in a recent octagon appearance, though, is Escudero (24-9 MMA, 5-5 UFC). “The Ultimate Fighter 8? winner worked his way back to the UFC after being cut and has won his past two fights. The most recent was a 54-second submission win over Drew Dober at UFC 188 earlier this month.

Both fighters hold UFC wins over Dober and are in roughly the same tier of the crowded UFC lightweight division. A few more triumphant performances would help either fighter advance to the next level of competition.

Peter Sobotta

Sergio Moraes

Should fight: Sergio Moraes
Why they should fight: Sobotta’s first-round submission win over Steve Kennedy improved his record to 7-0-1 since he was released from the UFC in November 2010. He’s earned all but one of those wins in the opening round – with two coming inside the octagon after he re-signed with the organization in May 2014.

The German hasn’t faced stern competition in his current run, but if he continues to win, it won’t be long before he experiences a true challenge. That would have taken place at UFC Fight Night 69 had original opponent Moraes (9-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) not suffered an injury that forced him off the card.

Moraes vs. Sobotta was a matchup of two talented grapplers with many submission wins. UFC matchmakers have attempted to book the fight twice before, and hopefully the third time is the charm.

Tatsuya Kawajiri

Dennis Bermudez

Should fight: Winner of Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens at UFC 189
Why they should fight: Kawajiri earned arguably the most significant win since he dropped to the featherweight division in 2011 when he edged longtime UFC veteran Dennis Siver by unanimous decision.

“Crusher” didn’t show much flash in the victory, but he got the job done and has proved over his three-fight UFC stint that he won’t be a pushover for anyone at 145 pounds.

The 37-year-old has been in the sport since his April 2000 pro debut. Conventional wisdom would indicate he’s short on time to make a final run to the top, which means Kawajiri needs important matchups, and he needs them immediately.

Bermudez (14-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Stephens (23-11 MMA, 10-10 UFC) are tapped to meet at UFC 189 next month, and the winner would be a prime candidate for Kawajiri’s next fight. Both are established in the weight class, and a win over someone of Kawajiri’s stature would only brighten their respective resumes.

With the UFC set to travel to Kawajiri’s home country of Japan on Sept. 26, there’s a good chance he’ll get a spot on the card. A fight with Bermudez or Stephens could be a cornerstone of the lineup.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Claudia Gadelha

Should fight: Winner of Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Aguilar at UFC 190
Why they should fight: After her utter destruction of Penne to defend her UFC women’s strawweight title for the first time, Jedrzejczyk appears to have what it takes to rule the 115-pound division long into the future.

With that said, her most formidable challenge may come in her next title defense, which should be against the winner of Gadelha (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Aguilar (19-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who meet at UFC 190 in Brazil on Aug. 1.

Gadelha and Jedrzejczyk have fought once before. They competed in a title eliminator at UFC on FOX 13 in December in a very close fight that Jedrzejczyk won by split decision. The victory moved her into the title bout, which led the Polish fighter to her current position as champion.

A few minor changes to strategy and tactics could make Gadelha a serious threat to Jedrzejczyk in a rematch.

In order to challenge Jedrzejczyk, though, she must get past Aguilar. The former WSOF champion was considered the best women’s strawweight fighter in the world before Jedrzejczyk’s rise to the top. Her UFC debut has been anticipated for some time, and after signing with the promotion earlier this year, Aguilar was immediately pushed into a high-stakes affair against Gadelha.

Aguilar has won her past 10 fights and hasn’t lost since September 2010. If “Jag” can emerge on top in just one more, she’ll likely have the opportunity to challenge Jedrzejczyk and back up her claims of being the best in the world.

For more on UFC Fight Night 69, check out the UFC Events section of the site.