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The UFC visited St. Louis, Missouri last night for its latest event. This Fight Night show proved to be a lot of fun for anyone that watched.
UFC Fight Night: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento saw a number of excellent performances produced. So what should be next for last night's big winners?
As always, the promotion's matchmakers have plenty of options ahead of them.
Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento.
#5. UFC lightweight bout: Chase Hooper vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
The UFC loves matching fighters who win on the same card against one another at a future event, and two fighters who fit together after last night are Chase Hooper and Carlos Diego Ferreira.
Hooper looked fantastic in his win over Viacheslav Borshchev, knocking his foe down and running a train on him on the ground before choking him out. It was probably the best we've seen of 'The Dream' thus far.
Ferreira, meanwhile, turned back the clock and became the first man to beat Mateusz Rebecki in the octagon, stopping him in the third round and claiming a $50k bonus in the process.
At 39 years old, Ferreira may not have that much long left at the top. However, he's a battle-hardened veteran who is more than capable of testing a young prospect.
That makes him the perfect foe for the 24-year-old Hooper, who has won his last three fights but still has some question marks hanging over his durability and striking skills.
If Hooper could beat the veteran, he'd probably have to answer some of those questions. If he were to lose, he'd still have time to recover, making this fight well worth booking.
#4. UFC featherweight bout: Sean Woodson vs. Bryce Mitchell
Because his fight went the distance, Sean Woodson didn't receive too much attention at last night's event. However, 'The Sniper' was in fact one of the event's more impressive fighters.
Woodson was able to use his incredible range and reach to largely pick apart veteran Alex Caceres. While he never came close to a finish, he never got in trouble with 'Bruce Leeroy' either, and is now on a six-fight unbeaten run.
Given Caceres was recently ranked in the top fifteen, it's probably fair to give Woodson a shot at a ranked foe next time out. Therefore, the UFC should probably give him what he wants, and that's a fight with Bryce Mitchell.
'The Sniper' called out 'Thug Nasty' last night, and it'd be a truly fascinating bout, pitting the dangerous striking of Woodson against the slick grappling of Mitchell.
With Mitchell losing two of his last three bouts, this would be a chance for him to bounce back, and it'd also be a chance for Woodson to crack the top fifteen. Basically, it makes a lot of sense.
#3. UFC light-heavyweight bout: Carlos Ulberg vs. Anthony Smith
It's arguable that the most impressive showing of last night's event came from light-heavyweight prospect Carlos Ulberg. 'Black Jag' needed just 12 seconds to dispatch Alonzo Menifield with a wicked counter-combo, and he now sits on a six-fight win streak.
It's likely that Ulberg will crack the top fifteen at 205 pounds next week. Therefore, it's time to test him and see if he's ready for the true elite at this weight.
If that's the case, then there's only one man for him to face, and that's Anthony Smith. 'Lionheart' is now the division's premier gatekeeper, and last weekend saw him turn back the challenge of another prospect in Vitor Petrino.
Could Smith find a way past the dangerous striking of Ulberg? It's hard to say, but if 'Black Jag' could come through, then he'd have to be considered a title threat.
With Smith's attitude making him willing to take on any fighter at any time and Ulberg only spending seconds in action last night, the UFC could even book this for later in the summer and watch fireworks ensue.
#2. UFC welterweight bout: Joaquin Buckley vs. Gilbert Burns
Hometown hero Joaquin Buckley came through what was a very tricky test for him last night in St. Louis. 'New Mansa' begged to fight on the card on less than two months' notice, and while the UFC were happy for him to do so, they didn't give him an easy opponent.
Nursulton Ruziboev had beaten his first two octagon opponents in violent fashion, making him a dangerous if unheralded foe for Buckley.
However, 'New Mansa' ran right through 'Black', dominating him on the ground and coming close to finishing him with some brutal strikes from the top in the third round. It was arguably the most complete showing of his career.
Who should be next for Buckley, given he's now ranked in the top fifteen? Ignoring his wild call-out of Conor McGregor, a better idea would be to match him with Gilbert Burns, who he called out at the post-fight press conference.
'Durinho' is a former title challenger, but he's also fallen on hard times as of late, losing his last two fights. Despite this, the Brazilian is still ranked at No.6 at welterweight, and is still hugely dangerous.
If Buckley could get past him, it'd be impossible to deny his status as a title contender, and if he were to lose, it wouldn't be the worst thing either. 'New Mansa' has a style that will always allow him to step into the spotlight.
For now, though, it's time to see how he does against an elite-level foe, and 'Durinho' would definitely represent that.
#1. UFC heavyweight bout: Derrick Lewis vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
While he struggled a bit in the early going, in the end, it was business as usual for Derrick Lewis last night. 'The Black Beast' crushed Rodrigo Nascimento in the third round, picking up his 15th octagon knockout and extending a UFC record in the process.
Lewis is miles away from title contention at heavyweight at this point, but it doesn't matter. He still fills the niche of a highly popular veteran contender who can be relied on to headline smaller shows like this, and that's a role that should be his until he retires.
What's next for him? Given that he's fought nearly every other relevant heavyweight, it's got to be Jairzinho Rozenstruik, who is ranked one spot above 'The Black Beast' at No.11.
Given the striking styles of both men, it's pretty crazy that Rozenstruik and Lewis haven't faced off already yet. A fight between them would definitely be fun to watch, though, and it'd almost certainly end in some kind of knockout.
Add in the fact that the timing would work - Rozenstruik beat Shamil Gaziev in March - and it seems like a no-brainer to book this to headline a Fight Night event in the late part of the summer.
