Joe Silva's Shoes: What's next for UFC Fight Night 72's winners?

The UFC made its first stop in Scotland with UFC Fight Night 72, which took place Saturday at SSE Hydro in Glasgow. The event, which aired on FOX Sports 1, featured a six-fight main card with a significant middleweight matchup at the top of the bill.

In the main event, Michael Bisping (27-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) shut down Thales Leites (25-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) UFC resurgence when he scored a split decision victory.

The co-main event saw Evan Dunham (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) stifle Ross Pearson (17-9 MMA, 9-6 UFC) with his superior grappling ability en route to a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.

Prior to those fights it was a clean sweep for European talent as Joseph Duffy (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Joanne Calderwood (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Leon Edwards (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Stevie Ray (18-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) topped 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.

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Stevie Ray

Stevie Ray

?Should fight: Mickael Lebout
Why they should fight: Stevie Ray opened the main card and nearly blew the roof off the arena with a first-round knockout of Leonardo Mafra in front of his hometown crowd.

The Scottish fighter moved to 2-0 with the victory and has earned both of those wins by stoppage due to strikes. He’s an exciting addition to the lightweight division and appears on his way to becoming a mainstay on the UFC’s European circuit.

Lebout (14-4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is another 155-pound fighter who earned a win I Glasgow, although his performance was far less inspiring. He topped UFC newcomer Teemu Packalen by unanimous decision for his first octagon victory.

“Ragnar” has earned most of his victories through taking his opponents to the ground and either stifling them or finishing with a submission. Since Ray likes to stand, he would be forced to fend off someone with a contrasting style.

Leon Edwards

Leon Edwards

?Should fight: Lyman Good
Why they should fight: Other than a debatable split decision loss in his promotional debut, Leon Edwards’ UFC career has been smooth sailing. He earned an eight-second knockout in his last bout, and against Pawel Pawlak he picked up 15 minutes of important experience with a one-sided unanimous decision.

Edwards nearly finished a fight in the third round with a big head kick that dropped Pawlak. Other than that it was primarily wrestling that led to the win. The 23-year-old showed he’s well rounded, and that’s a great trait to hold at such a young age.

The Englishman has been dominant in his past two UFC wins, which means it’s time for a step up in competition. Good (19-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is a difficult fighter to dominate, as the former Bellator champion proved in his UFC debut earlier this month.

Good has experience against top-tier fighters and is a proven commodity at this point in his career. If Edwards could defeat him it would be a major statement about his potential.

Joanne Calderwood

Joanne Calderwood

?Should fight: Juliana Lima
Why they should fight: Joanne Calderwood had admitted that she’s not been in a good mental space prior to her past two bouts. It cost her dearly in a first-round submission loss earlier this year, and in the opening seconds of her bout with Cortney Casey it looked as if history was going to repeat itself.

“JoJo” managed to overcome an early barrage of strikes from Casey, who took the fight or short notice. She stayed composed, though, and rallied back to win an entertaining unanimous decision in the “Fight of the Night.”

Calderwood at her best is among the top fighters in the women’s strawweight division. It’s clear she has some hurdles to jump in her personal life, though, and hopefully that will get sorted prior to her next fight.

When the time comes for Calderwood to return to the octagon, a matchup with Lima (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) would be plenty logical. “Ju Thai” has earned two wins in a row and possesses a grappling-heavy style that would create problems for Calderwood on the ground.

Calderwood’s only career loss was due to a submission and Lima would surely test her improvement in that area. Oppositely, Calderwood would have a considerable advantage if she could keep the fight in striking range.

Joseph Duffy

Joseph Duffy

?Should fight: Winner of Daron Cruickshank vs. James Krause at UFC on FOX 16
Why they should fight: Joseph Duffy continued to add to his hype train with his second consecutive first-round finish to move to 2-0 inside the octagon. In Duffy’s debut, he scored a knockout in less than two minutes. His sophomore appearance was even more impressive, because he rocked Ivan Jorge on the feet then finished with a first-round submission.

Duffy might be best known as the last fighter to defeat interim UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor, but through two octagon appearances, he’s proven to be much more than that. He’s dangerous and skilled in every area, which is going to be an issue for many lightweights on the UFC roster.

The 27-year-old requested a spot on the UFC’s Oct. 24 event in his native Ireland. His wish will likely be granted, and it would be best to give him a winnable fight on his home turf.

Cruickshank (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and Krause (21-7 MMA, 2-3 UFC) have the UFC experience and success to further discover where Duffy stands. Whoever wins their matchup at UFC on FOX 16 later this month would be a suitable, but not overwhelming, test for Duffy’s third UFC bout.

Evan Dunham

Evan Dunham

?Should fight: Mairbek Taisumov
Why they should fight: Following his unanimous decision win over Pearson, Evan Dunham called himself a journeyman and a fighter’s fighter. He’s willing to compete against anyone the lightweight division has to offer, and now it’s time to put that theory to test.

Dunham just defeated a well-traveled veteran and “Ultimate Fighter” reality series winner in Pearson. His next bout should be against an up-and-comer with something to prove. Taisumov (24-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) fits that description.

The Russian has put together a solid UFC record during his short tenure, but hasn’t had the opportunity to prove himself against notable competition. Dunham would give him that chance.

Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping

?Should fight: Winner of Gegard Mousasi vs. Roan Carneiro at UFC Fight Night 76
?Why they should fight: In his return to the U.K. after nearly five years, Michael Bisping earned one of the most critical victories of his career when he outpointed Leites to take a split decision.

Bisping needed the victory to break out of the win-one, lose-one trend he’s faced over the past several years. He achieved that goal in what was his 17th triumphant performance inside the octagon.

“The Count” has been part of the UFC middleweight title picture for several years, but has never broke through into the top of the weight class. If he continues to win he’ll have another opportunity to do so, and the winner of September’s UFC Fight Night 76 matchup between Mousasi (37-5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Carneiro (20-9 MMA, 3-3 UFC) would further set him on his way.

Mousasi has had his ups and downs since joined the UFC, but he’s still one of the very best 185-pound fighters on the planet. He’s called out Bisping in the past, so with a victory he could finally get his desired matchup. If Carneiro wins, he would be more than deserving of a fight with Bisping. The Brazilian has pumped new life into his career in recent years and a victory over Mousasi would make him a player in the weight class.

For more on UFC Fight Night 72, check out the UFC Events section of the site.