Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Stipe Miocic, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and UFC 211's other winning fighters?

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for UFC 211’s losing fighters?)

UFC 211 marked the organization’s third event in Dallas in the past three years. In the main event, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic closed the show with yet another first-round knockout, this time against Junior Dos Santos.

Miocic (17-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) avenged a December 2014 loss to Dos Santos (18-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) when he earned his second title defense and fifth straight knockout in the pay-per-view headliner at American Airlines Center.

Prior to Miocic’s moment, another champion reigned supreme. Strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) defended her belt for a fifth consecutive time with a dominant decision against overmatched challenger Jessica Andrade (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC).

There were other big winners on the memorable card. Demian Maia (25-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC), Frankie Edgar (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) and David Branch (21-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) all earned crucial victories for their careers.

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 211’s winning fighters.

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David Branch

Thales Leites

Should fight: Thales Leites
Why they should fight: It wasn’t the glorious return to UFC competition that he hoped for, but Branch still managed to get his hand raised against Krzysztof Jotko when he took a split decision for his first octagon victory since December 2010.

On a card filled with tremendous bouts, Branch vs. Jotko stood out as a noticeably underwhelming affair. Branch said criticism was warranted, but he’s still glad to be back in the UFC after a forgettable first stint.

Branch thrived outside the UFC when he became a WSOF champion in not one, but two weight classes. Jotko wasn’t an easy matchup to come back with, but he managed to get win and become just the second to ever beat his Polish foe.

There will be some pressure on Branch going into his next fight, though. He can’t afford a repeat performance if he wants to climb the UFC middleweight rankings, but the fights aren’t going to get any easier.

Leites (27-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) is another difficult stylistic matchup for Branch, but one he should be able to handle if he wants to be viewed as a legitimate threat at 185 pounds. The Brazilian is coming off a unanimous decision win over Sam Alvey at UFC Fight Night 108 in April and has a well-rounded game that should be able to push Branch.

Frankie Edgar

Ricardo Lamas

Should fight: Chan Sung Jung or Ricardo Lamas
Why they should fight: Edgar’s more than nine-year streak of going unbeaten in non-title fights continued when he halted the type train of top featherweight prospect Yair Rodriguez.

Edgar relished the fact he was being set up as a potential stepping stone for the rising star Rodriguez and used that as motivation to hand “Pantera” a second-round TKO loss in what was his first octagon blemish.

The result, however, puts “The Answer” in a precarious position at 145 pounds. Edgar repeatedly takes out the top competition in the division, but his two losses to current champ Jose Aldo significantly hurts his chances another championship fight, at least while the Brazilian holds the gold.

The good news for Edgar, though, is that Aldo has a UFC 212 title unification bout with interim champ Holloway less than a month away, and if “Blessed” captures the belt, that changes the game for Edgar. He would likely fight for the gold next, which is the best case scenario.

The other side of the coin would be an Aldo win, which would likely mean a title shot for Cub Swanson next and another fight for Edgar to keep building his case. In that situation, a showdown with either Jung (14-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) or Lamas (17-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who are coincidentally rumored to fight each other in the summer, would be a solid alternative.

Demian Maia

Tyron Woodley

Should fight: Tyron Woodley
Why they should fight: Maia overcame what without question should be his final hurdle before a UFC welterweight title shot when he defeated fellow contender Jorge Masvidal by split decision for his seventh consecutive victory.

Although Maia should have been placed in a title fight one or two wins ago, he took the admirable route of continuing to compete and force the UFC to give him what he deserves. With consecutive wins over Masvidal, Carlos Condit and Matt Brown, among others, the Brazilian should be next for 170-pound champ Woodley (17-3-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC).

UFC President Dana White confirmed Maia is on deck for “The Chosen One.” Short of a catastrophic injury to one of the competitors or an unforeseen shift to the landscape of the division, there is no excuse not to book Maia vs. Woodley next. End of story.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Should fight: Rose Namajunas
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Jedrzejczyk should fight Namajunas (6-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) next for her sixth title defense.

Stipe Miocic

Should fight: Cain Velasquez
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Miocic should defend his heavyweight title against Velasquez (14-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) next.

For complete coverage of UFC 211, check out the UFC Events section of the site.