Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Kelvin Gastelum and UFC Fight Night 106's other winners?

A new middleweight contender was born in Saturday’s FS1-televised UFC Fight Night 106 headliner when Kelvin Gastelum defeated Vitor Belfort at Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.

Gastelum (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) added to his increasingly impressive resume when he stopped former UFC champion Belfort (25-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) by first-round TKO in what was arguably the most high-profile victory of the 24-year-old’s career.

Other big winners on the FS1-televised main card included former UFC light heavyweight champ Mauricio Rua (25-10 MMA, 9-8 UFC), highlight-reel knockout machine Edson Barboza (19-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) and flyweight prospect Ray Borg (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Alex Oliveira (16-3-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who all earned victories over their respective opponents.

One fight didn’t produce a winner, though; Bethe Correia (10-2-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) and fellow bantamweight Marion Reneau (7-3-1 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC) fought to the first draw in the history of UFC women’s competition.

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 106’s winning fighters.

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Alex Oliveira

Ryan LaFlare

Should fight: Ryan LaFlare
Why they should fight: After a no-contest set up by an illegal knee stopped their first fight prematurely, Oliveira finally settled the score with Tim Means when the Brazilian picked up a second-round submission victory in the heated rematch.

Oliveira has lost just once in six fights at welterweight, with his past two wins coming against Means and former Bellator champ Will Brooks. That has him floating around the divisional rankings conversation, which means another noteworthy fight is likely on the horizon.

LaFlare’s (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) octagon tenure has been slowed by injuries, but his overall record is exceptional. His lone blemish in 14 career fights came at the hands of top-ranked contender Demian Maia, and now that he’s healthy and riding the momentum of a UFC 208 win over Roan Carneiro, LaFlare would match up well with “Cowboy.”

Ray Borg

Joseph Benavidez

Should fight: Joseph Benavidez
Why they should fight: The 23-year-old Borg pulled off the biggest win of his career when he entered the home turf of longtime flyweight contender Jussier Formiga and scored a unanimous-decision victory.

Formiga’s only UFC losses prior to his encounter with Borg came against Henry Cejudo, Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson. Those are elite names at 125 pounds and an indication of the importance of Borg’s victory over the Brazilian.

Considering the thin nature of the flyweight division, Borg might very well get a title shot next against the winner of champ Demetrious Johnson and Wilson Reis, who meet at UFC on FOX 24 in April. He requested as much post-fight, but that might too great a jump for this stage in his career. Then again, there’s not much space between beating Formiga and fighting for the title.

If Borg is required to further prove himself as a worthy contender, then a matchup with Benavidez (25-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) is seemingly the only option. Benavidez has lost only to champ Johnson during his flyweight career, and if Borg becomes the first outside of “Mighty Mouse” to top him, then it would be validate Borg in a way few other victories could.

Edson Barboza

Michael Chiesa

Should fight: Michael Chiesa
Why they should fight: Barboza continued to do exceptional work in the stacked UFC lightweight division when he earned his fourth victory in his past five fights with a “Knockout of the Year” contender against a dangerous opponent in Beneil Dariush.

Although Barboza owns consecutive wins over Dariush, former Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez and former UFC titleholder Anthony Pettis, the Brazilian still isn’t a realistic part of the 155-pound title discussion.

The championship picture at lightweight is blurry, to say the least, and as a result, contenders such as Barboza will simply have no other option but keep fighting with the hope their chance eventually comes around, even if they’re out there winning with the style of Barboza.

If Barboza wants to further strengthen his case, defeating another surging contender such as Chiesa (14-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) would make for solid forward progress. “Maverick” has been out of action since an April 2016 submission win over Dariush at UFC on FOX 19 but is looking for a big fight for his return to the octagon. Considering what Barboza has done of late, there are now few more important fights in the 155-pound division.

Mauricio Rua

Misha Cirkunov

Should fight: Misha Cirkunov
Why they should fight: Just like that, Rua has won three consecutive fights and has clawed his way back into the upper echelon of the UFC light-heavyweight rankings after a third-round TKO of a game Gian Villante.

“Shogun” has been written off many times during his up-and-down UFC tenure, but his current winning streak over Villante, Corey Anderson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is the longest of his more than nine-year run with the organization. He has long discussed taking a slow and measured approach back to the belt, but at this stage, it’s time to see if the former UFC champ has a realistic chance of accomplishing that goal.

Cirkunov (13-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is considered among the top up-and-comers at 205 pounds, and after recently signing a new contract with the UFC, the Canadian is looking for a big fight that will put his own name in title contention. He’s already called out Rua several times in the past, and the timing might finally be right for his wish to come true.

Kelvin Gastelum

Should fight: Luke Rockhold
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Gastelum should fight former UFC champ Rockhold (15-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) next.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 106, check out the UFC Events section of the site.