UFC 143 Aftermath: Fights to Make

In the aftermath of UFC 143 last night, we found ourselves with a new champion, several new top contenders and some dazzling finishes.

Rising stars and established veterans took their game to the ultimate proving ground last night and, for the most part, did not disappoint. The many surprises experienced last night proved to make UFC 143 successful as a whole.

There will undoubtedly be some cuts following the event, but where does each fighter go from here?

Let's now examine the options each fighter has from here.

Dan Stittgen

Assuming Dan Stittgen finally woke up from that violent knockout last night, he definitely will need a better showing next time to stick around.

Stittgen did not look good last night, being picked apart by the younger, faster and more technical Stephen Thompson.

Jorge Lopez was supposed to fight on this card but was forced off with an injury. Both Lopez and Stittgen are 0-1 in the UFC, so have them duke it out in a "winner leaves town" match in the near future.

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson lived up to his billing as a solid kickboxer. He finished Dan Stittgen with a beautiful combination that ended with him kicking Stittgen's head into the fifth row of the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Thompson is still young in his career, but with the composure he showed, along with the tools needed to be successful, he has a bright future.

Build him up slowly. Fellow prospect Lance Benoist has not fought since his debut in September. Match these two up, as they could benefit from each other. That fight also could be a "Fight of the Night" candidate on most cards.

Michael Kuiper

Michael Kuiper dropped his debut to a tough Rafael Natal but showed some promise. It appears he has a good ground game to go along with powerful striking.

Kuiper has nothing to be ashamed about, as he competed 15 minutes with an experienced veteran. Kuiper is still a prospect with only nine fights under his belt.

Nick Ring is currently without an opponent. Ring dropped his last fight and will be looking to get back to the win column. Kuiper could be a good choice to fight him, as it gives Ring a fight for redemption, while giving Kuiper an experienced opponent in the same position in the division as himself.

Rafael Natal

Rafael Natal did not look stellar in his victory last night, but a win is a win. He has now won two fights in a row and will be looking to step up in competition for his next fight.

Natal has a good ground game and developing striking. He has proved that he can get wins in the lower part of the division, so it will be interesting to see how he handles himself in the middle of the division.

Natal could find an opponent in Dan Miller, who has not fought since his entertaining brawl against Rousimar Palhares at UFC 134.

Miller is as tough as they come but is no slouch when the bell rings. Miller could be a good test for Natal to see if he belongs at the bottom or has the skills to continue moving up the ladder.

Henry Martinez

Henry Martinez should be proud of what he did last night. He fought a man who was obviously much larger than he was. He took the fight on very short notice.

And, most importantly, he fought pretty well.

Martinez will probably drop a weight class, as he is obviously not a true welterweight. Yes, he lost to Matt Riddle, but he showed some promise.

Mitch Clarke is 0-1 in the UFC, dropping an entertaining bout to John Cholish. Clarke could be a solid challenge if Martinez does drop to lightweight. Give Martinez a full training camp and see how he does against a tough competitor in the toughest weight class in the UFC.

Chris Cope

Chris Cope was knocked out for the second time in as many fights last night. Luckily, I think that will be the last time we have to hear any more dreaded "Wooooo" noises coming out of his mouth.

Cope has proven to be a dud in the Octagon, showing he cannot step up his competition following a weak class in The Ultimate Fighter.

Should Cope stick around, he has few options. David Mitchell is currently without an opponent, since his loss to Paulo Thiago at UFC 134. Let these two fight it out, to see who remains with the UFC and who gets sent packing to the minor leagues.

Matt Riddle/Matt Brown

Both Matt Brown and Matt Riddle likely saved their jobs with respective wins over Chris Cope and Henry Martinez.

Both men have shown to be very entertaining fighters, putting on crowd pleasing fights on a consistent basis.

Both are in relatively the same position in the welterweight division, so why not pit these two up against each other to see who the better man is? It could lead to a "Fight of the Night."

Alex Caceres

Alex Caceres dropped a decision last night, surrendering two points for numerous low kicks to the groin of Edwin Figueroa.

Caceres does not have the most impressive UFC record, but he will likely stick around, as Dana White loves him as a fighter and as a personality.

Caceres will need to get back on track in his next fight if he wishes to continue fighting for the UFC.

Roland Delorme is fresh off the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter and looking for a new opponent. Caceres and Delorme could benefit from each other, if they meet up.

Caceres would benefit from taking on a grappling oriented fighter, while Delorme would face somebody with Octagon experience.

It's a win-win situation for both.

Edwin Figueroa

Figueroa proved last night, if anything, that he is still a prospect. He is developing his skills, which means that he needs to continue fighting in the lower-mid part of the bantamweight division.

He has won two in a row, so he definitely can still fight a credible opponent, though.

Ken Stone could provide a challenge, as he possesses solid grappling ability. Figueroa needs to be challenged at that part of his game, to see if he can take that step to the next level. A Stone-Figueroa match would surely be a great undercard bout.

Max Holloway

Max Holloway had a big opportunity last night, but to be honest, he really had a very small chance of winning.

Holloway is still in the single digits in terms of the amount of professional fights he has, so he is definitely a prospect in the featherweight division.

Last month, Pat Schilling was defeated in his debut fight. Both Schilling and Holloway are still inexperienced fighters, so a match against each other could benefit them and give them added experience.

Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier is so close to a title shot he can smell it.

Unfortunately, I do not think a win over Max Holloway is going to get him the next crack at Jose Aldo.

Poirier dazzled with a beautiful "Submission of the Night" last night, putting Holloway in a mounted triangle armbar.

Poirier was originally supposed to throw down with Erik Koch on this card. That should be his next fight, as it would be both exciting and decide which of the two is more deserving of a shot at the featherweight title.

There is a very good chance it would be a "Fight of the Night" candidate as well.

Clifford Starks

This was a big step up in competition for Clifford Starks, and last night proved that he is still a fighter that needs to polish all of his skills.

Starks is basically a wrestler with green striking and submission defense. There is no shame in losing to Ed Herman, but he was obviously over-matched here.

Sean Loeffler and Buddy Roberts are set to duke it out later this month. Whoever should come out of that fight the loser could serve as Starks's next opponent.

Ed Herman

Since returning from injury, Ed Herman is now 3-0 with three finishes. He is proving to be a solid competitor in the middleweight division.

His second round rear-naked choke over Clifford Starks showed that Herman can now take a step up in competition.

Demian Maia lost last weekend and will be looking to rebound against a competitor like Herman. Assuming Herman suffered no facial injuries, as his eye looked pretty bad at the press conference last night, he could make a quick turn around against Maia, to see he belongs in the upper echelon of the division.

Scott Jorgensen

I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with Scott Jorgensen last night, as I thought he would be the man to derail Renan Barao. I can graciously say that I was proven wrong.

Jorgensen does not drop too far from here, though, as he is still a top fighter in the relatively shallow bantamweight division.

Jorgensen could find his next fight to be against another top guy who lost his last fight in Brian Bowles. Both looking to get back on track, these two would most likely put on an entertaining bout to prove who is the better man.

Renan Barao

Renan Barao won all three rounds last night, proving to be the real deal in the bantamweight division. He might have the top claim in the division to get the next title shot.

Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz are already set to decide the winner of their rubber match and the bantamweight title, and whoever should come out the winner of that fight should take on Barao next. Barao has proven to be legitimate and could give either man a run for their money.

Mike Pierce

In a losing effort, Mike Pierce definitely proved his worth in the UFC, dropping a very close split decision.

Pierce consistently shows he can hang with the best, so he probably does not drop far from here.

Mike Pyle is coming off a dominant victory over Ricardo Funch in Brazil last month. He could be a viable option for Mike Pierce, as Pyle has proved to be an all-around solid fighter.

Pierce would also be a nice test for Pyle, to see if he can climb into the top part of the welterweight division.

Roy Nelson

As is the case with Roy Nelson, he again faltered to a top competitor in last night's encounter with Fabricio Werdum. Nelson consistently fails to fight big when he takes a step up in competition.

It will be interesting to see where Nelson goes from here. He has been dominated by the division's better fighters, while steamrolling guys in the middle part.

A battle versus another iron-jawed fighter in Mike Russow could be a good test for both men. Both are hard to finish and have similar skill sets. This could be a very intriguing match, especially on an FX or FUEL card.

Fabricio Werdum

Fabricio Werdum re-entered the UFC with a bang last night, dominating Roy Nelson with improved striking and a better ground game.

Werdum is definitely a top heavyweight in the world. A higher level opponent is definitely in order for "Vai Cavalo."

Frank Mir's recent victory over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira puts him a fight or two away from title contention. In the meanwhile, an encounter with Werdum could make for a great fight, as well as a title eliminator of some sort.

Josh Koscheck/Nick Diaz

Josh Koscheck was victorious last night in less than impressive fashion over Mike Pierce. He is still a great fighter and a top welterweight, but he does not warrant a title shot against Carlos Condit or Georges St-Pierre.

Nick Diaz, on the other hand, lost a very close fight last night, which should not send him into retirement, as he hinted. He will be back and be looking to take his aggression out on a top UFC welterweight.

That is where these two cross paths. This could be the next fight for both these men, which would test Diaz's counter wrestling, as well as Koscheck's striking defense.

It will also be interesting to see where Josh Koscheck goes from here, as he has left American Kickboxing Academy after some undisclosed fallout.

Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit is your new UFC Interim Welterweight Champion. Agree with the decision or not, Condit stuck to his game plan and won three rounds of last night's five-round affair.

From here, the next fight is obvious. Condit and Georges St-Pierre will meet up to decide the new undisputed champion.

Condit, though, has said that he wishes to remain active and not wait for St-Pierre to return before he fights again. If Condit were to defend his title, it would be interesting to see who they would have him fight.

In my opinion, I think he will wait for St. Pierre and benefit from a long training camp to master the perfect game plan against GSP.