UFC on FX 5 Results: Five Fights for Bigfoot Silva to Take Next

Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Bigfoot Silva may not have impressed in his UFC debut earlier this year, but he made up for it tonight with a 1st Round technical knockout victory over the undefeated Travis Browne.

Sending Browne to the canvas with an enormous right hand, it only took a few enormous shots from the giant for referee Herb Dean to step in and call a stop to the action.

With only a few fighters anywhere near a title shot, there are lots of options for Silva in terms of future bookings. 

Here is a look at five fights for Bigfoot Silva to take next.

Stefan Struve

Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

The theory behind fans booing the flyweights is that it's difficult to get excited about two small men who have no perceived power and are unlikely to finish fights. By reverse logic, it's easy to see that fight fans love the idea of watching one huge guy fight another.

There is no bigger fighter in the UFC than 7' tall Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve. And like Silva, not only is Struve enormous, he is also incredibly talented when it comes to the facets of submitting heavyweights.

Both fighters would headline a free event one week apart, so their timeline to return should be identical. Additionally, they earned impressive stoppages to record a big time win.

Cheick Kongo

Anne-Marie Sorvin-US PRESSWIRE

Standing at 6'4" and possessing an 80" reach, Cheick Kongo is a French monster who utilizes his kickboxing and ground-and-pound to find success in the Octagon. Could he find a way to defeat the giant and get one step closer to the title shot that has eluded him for so long?

At 37-years-old, this is undoubtedly the last run at a championship that Kongo will have the opportunity to make. He needs to take fights that are intriguing and have an impact on the title picture. In terms of marketing, it doesn't get much bigger than knocking out a giant. 

Roy Nelson

Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

When Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin conclude The Ultimate Fighter in December, they will do battle. Probably.

Roy Nelson has expressed interest in filling in for Frank Mir to fight Daniel Cormier at a Strikeforce event in November. While this could just be a chance to grab a big-name fight, there is another motive that isn't being discussed as openly as I think it should.

Shane Carwin is injury prone, and has only competed twice since April 2010 because of it. In the event that he was hurt during the filming of the show, the UFC would not address the injury until closer to the show's airing. 

Nelson vs Bigfoot was originally booked for UFC 146. If Carwin is hurt, let this fight happen like it was originally intended.

Mark Hunt

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Mark Hunt may not be the most well known name in the UFC's heavyweight division, but he has come a long way from his six-fight losing skid that ended in 2011. Now on a three-fight winning streak, this is the most momentum that Hunt has put together on American soil.

The Super Samoan has been out of action since a February knockout victory over Cheick Kongo. He was originally scheduled to fight at UFC 146, but a knee injury has kept him out of the cage.

With massive fan support during the Rally For Hunt campaign, it would not be surprising to see Hunt in a big fight like this upon his return.

Gabriel Gonzaga

Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

Think fast! Name a heavyweight from Brazil who has incredible jiu-jitsu, but is most famous for using strikes to stop a PRIDE legend.

If you were thinking about Bigfoot Silva and his stoppage of Fedor Emelianenko, you would be right. However, if Gabriel Gonzaga and his highlight reel head kick of Mirko Cro Cop came to mind, you are today's big winner.

Gonzaga scored a quick and decisive victory in his promotional return earlier this year. He was scheduled to fight Geronimo dos Santos at UFC 153, but his opponent has pulled out due to injury.

Now searching for an opponent, Gonzaga is ready to go to war and should provide a solid test for Silva anywhere the fight goes.