Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Holly Holm and UFC Fight Night 111's other winning fighters?

After a somewhat slow-paced main card, Holly Holm closed Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 111 event in spectacular fashion when she knocked out Bethe Correia in the UFC Fight Pass-streamed headliner at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

Holm (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) put Correia (10-3-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) out in the third round with a perfectly placed head kick, putting an end to a career-worst three-fight skid in the women’s bantamweight main event.

“The Preacher’s Daughter” was the lone athlete on the four-fight main card to stop her opponent inside the distance. Marcin Tybura (16-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Colby Covington (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Rafael dos Anjos (26-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) all needed the judges, but won in clear-cut fashion.

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 Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC Fight Night 111’s winning fighters.

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Rafael dos Anjos

Gunnar Nelson

Should fight: Winner of Gunnar Nelson vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Fight Night 113
Why they should fight: Former UFC lightweight champion dos Anjos made a significant career decision by jumping up a division. He got no easy introduction to welterweight in Tarec Saffiedine, but the Brazilian showed he belongs with a unanimous decision win over the former Strikeforce champ.

Dos Anjos said the weight cut to 155 pounds became too great a physical toll, and as a result he moved up. He looked much healthier and filled with energy, and as someone who held gold in arguably the toughest weight class in the sport, it sets up great possibilities for his future at 170 pounds.

Saffiedine hasn’t necessarily blown the doors off during his UFC career, but he’s no pushover, and dos Anjos got past him. He said he’s prepared to prove his worth in the new weight class, and in order to climb the ranks he’ll need to get additional wins over more middling contenders like Saffiedine.

The winner of Nelson (16-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Ponzinibbio (24-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who headline UFC Fight Night 113 in July, will be on a multi-fight winning streak and in a good position in the weight class. They may argue at wanting someone higher ranked, but dos Anjos’ background as a former UFC champion makes him a more valuable win than other name opponents.

Colby Covington

Neil Magny

Should fight: Neil Magny
Why they should fight: Covington did everything in his power to campaign for a big fight in the UFC welterweight division. He finally got one in the form of longtime contender Dong Hyun Kim, and made the most of it.

“Chaos” picked up his seventh victory in eight UFC appearances when he beat Kim by lopsided unanimous decision. The 29-year-old had beaten some solid opponents in the octagon coming into the fight, but the win over Kim was on a vastly different level and legitimizes him as a contender.

Covington called out almost every big name imaginable at 170 pounds before the fight with “Stun Gun” came to fruition. He called out champ Tyron Woodley at the post-fight news conference, which shows his confidence level. He’s not going to get a title shot next, but Covington should certainly get another stiff test, and Magny (19-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) is no pushover.

Magny is coming off a win over former UFC welterweight champ Johny Hendricks at UFC 207 in December, but has been on the sidelines since due to injury. He’s apparently gearing up for a return before the end of the year, and as someone who has never been shy to a challenge, putting his skill set up against a rising contender like Covington would be an important fight for the weight class.

Marcin Tybura

Travis Browne

Should fight: Winner of Travis Browne vs. Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 213
Why they should fight: Just four fights into his UFC career, Tybura already picked up a signature win when he took out former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision.

Although Tybura came into the fight as the betting favorite against the slumping Arlovski, a win over “The Pitbull,” who is one of the most successful competitors in heavyweight history, is still a meaningful accomplishment.

The Polish fighter has recorded three consecutive victories since dropping his UFC debut in April 2016, and beating Arlovski puts him on an enhanced trajectory up the divisional rankings. He might not get an opponent with as big a name next time out, but he should get a fight of value.

The winner of July’s UFC 213 bout between Browne (18-6-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) and Oleinik (51-10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), especially if it’s Browne, would be a fight that would test Tybura in a different way than Arlovski and also give him another notable name for his resume as he attempts to push his run of victories to four.

Holly Holm

Should fight: Winner of Cristiane Justino vs. Megan Anderson
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Holm should fight the winner of the rumored “Cyborg” Justino (17-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Anderson (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) fight at UFC 214 next.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 111, check out the UFC Events section of the site.