Joe Silva’s Shoes: What's next for Mark Hunt and UFC Fight Night 85's other winners?

The UFC made its ninth stop in Australia with Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 85 event, which took place at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The event, which aired on FOX Sports 1 after early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, featured a six-fight main card.

In the main event, heavyweight contender Mark Hunt (12-10-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (18-11 MMA, 16-11 UFC) with a first-round walk-off knockout.

The co-main event saw Neil Magny (18-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) come from behind to dismantle fellow welterweight contender Hector Lombard (34-5-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) for a third-round TKO win to continue his impressive run.

Prior to those fights, Jake Matthews (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Daniel Kelly (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Steve Bosse (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Bec Rawlings (7-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) were all victorious, as well.

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 85’s winning fighters.

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Bec Rawlings

Kailin Curran

Should fight: Kailin Curran
Why they should fight: Rawlings returned from a 10-month layoff to defeat a gritty and durable Seo Hee Ham by unanimous decision in an entertaining women’s strawweight matchup.

“Rowdy” has consecutive victories for the first time in her UFC or Invicta FC career, which is meaningful. The winning streak will surely breed newfound confidence going forward, which is as important as any attribute at the UFC level.

Rawlings still has a lot of proving to do in order to reach the upper tier of the 115-pound division. Curran (4-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC), who is coming off a hard-fought decision win of her own against Emily Kagan in December, is also looking to build her profile in the division. Although a fight with Rawlings would be insignificant to the title picture, it would have plenty of meaning for both fighters.

Steve Bosse

Oluwale Bamgbose

Should fight: Oluwale Bamgbose
Why they should fight: It wasn’t long ago when Bosse was sitting in the comforts of retirement. Now he’s the owner of one of the best knockout so far this year. He finished James Te Huna in just 56 seconds for his first octagon victory and an extension to his UFC career.

Bosse was brought into the organization as a last-minute replacement in a fight that ultimately didn’t come to fruition. He was knocked out badly in his official octagon debut in July but was given a chance to redeem himself against Te Huna. The Canadian made the most of his second chance with the crushing one-punch finish.

The former hockey enforcer and current MMA fighter will always be a knockout threat. Bamgbose (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has similar talents and is coming off a first-round knockout win of his own after he stopped Daniel Sarafian in a minute at UFC Fight Night 83 in February.

Putting “The Holy War Angel” in the octagon with Bosse has the ingredients for a violent affair.

Daniel Kelly

Roan Carneiro

Should fight: Roan Carneiro
Why they should fight: Underestimated 38-year-old Kelly continues to surpass expectations. As the biggest underdog on the card, he upset highly touted prospect Antonio Carlos Junior by third-round TKO for his fourth victory in five UFC appearances.

Kelly overcame a lopsided first round and several fouls from his opponent to finish the fight in the final round, which sent the Australia crowd into a celebration. He made it clear in an emotional post-fight interview that he relishes the underdog role and hopes the UFC continues to put him in that position.

If Kelly wants a big test that could shift the perception of his ability to be a factor at middleweight, then Carneiro (20-10 MMA, 3-4 UFC) should be his next foe. Despite the fact “Jucao” is coming off a first-round knockout loss to Derek Brunson, he’s still a highly regarded veteran who’s more established than anyone Kelly has faced so far.

Much like Carlos Junior, the Carneiro’s biggest strength is jiu-jitsu. He has much more experience and the striking edge, though, so it’s safe to assume he would give Kelly a healthy test.

Jake Matthews

Efrain Escudero

Should fight: Winner of Efrain Escudero vs. Kevin Lee at UFC 197
Why they should fight: Matthews brought the blistering momentum of Johnny Case to a screeching halt when he handed “Hollywood” his first UFC loss with an impressive third-round submission.

Matthews had to pressure to succeed when he first joined the UFC at just 19. He started strong in the organization but suffered his first setback last year. That loss alleviated some of the pressure, though, and now 21 with five UFC fights to his credit, “The Celtic Kid” seems to be finding his best.

Escudero (24-10 MMA, 5-6 UFC) and Lee (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) have both stepped foot in the octagon more times than Matthews. The winner of their UFC 197 fight will be a good matchup for Matthews. Escudero’s veteran savvy could cause issues for Matthews while Lee is a fellow prospect with a wrestling base and the potential to neutralize Matthews’ strengths.

Neil Magny

Tyron Woodley

Should fight: Tyron Woodley or Johny Hendricks
Why they should fight: The UFC welterweight division is a bit of a mess right now. Magny’s thrilling come-from-behind finish of Lombard made it just a little messier.

After taking a severe beating in the opening round, Magny rallied to give Lombard a beating of his own. He stopped the fight with strikes in the third round to improve to 10-1 in his past 11 octagon appearances.

Magny’s victory over Kelvin Gastelum in November made many people recognize the extent of his talent. The win over Lombard proved his heart and resiliency. He’s without doubt a contender and deserves nothing short of more big fights.

He’s not deserving of a title shot just yet, but with another successful performance, Magny is right there. It’s still unknown who’s next for 170-pound champ Robbie Lawler, but if it’s not Woodley (15-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who has been campaigning for a title shot for a while, he should fight Magny in a title eliminator.

If Woodley gets the green light for a championship bout, then former titleholder Hendricks (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) would be a worthwhile backup plan. “Bigg Rigg” is coming off a loss to Stephen Thompson in February, but his stock is still high. He could be Magny’s passage to the top-contender spot.

Mark Hunt

Should fight: Josh Barnett
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Hunt should rematch Barnett (34-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC) next.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 85, check out the UFC Events section of the site.