UFC 144 Results: Matches to Make After Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson

Frankie Edgar put on another epic performance at UFC 144, but it wasn't enough for him to retain his title this time, as Benson Henderson captured the lightweight title in a narrow decision.

Now, the former champion will have to make some decisions on what the future will hold for him. While Edgar seemed to shrug off questions about moving to featherweight after the loss, UFC president Dana White was all for the idea.

"I've been asking him to go to 145 for a long time," White said at the UFC 144 post-fight press conference. "I would love to see him move to 145. I think he'd a force to be reckoned with there, and I think he'll be a great challenge for Jose Aldo."

After such a close fight, a rematch with Henderson could be an option for Edgar, but White hinted at giving former WEC champion Anthony Pettis the next shot at the 155-pound title.

Let's take a look at what should be next for Edgar and the rest of the UFC 144 competitors.

Tiequan Zhang vs. Vagner Rocha

With his knockout loss to Issei Tamura at UFC 144, Tiequan Zhang has now lost two straight fights since picking up a win in his featherweight debut.

Another recent addition to the 145-pound division, Vagner Rocha also suffered a rough knockout defeat against Jonathan Brookins.

A bout between Zhang and Rocha could make for an interesting grappling match and would give one fighter the opportunity to rebound.

Issei Tamura vs. Mackens Semerzier-Daniel Pineda Winner

With a brutal finish of Tiequan Zhang in his UFC debut, the 27-year-old Issei Tamura becomes a very interesting addition to the featherweight division, but he isn't ready for the top 145-pound fighters quite yet.

However, based on his performance at UFC 144, Tamura does deserve a fight with an opponent who has picked up more than a single win in the UFC.

A bout with the winner of a UFC on FX 2 fight between Mackens Semerzier and Daniel Pineda could make the most sense for Tamura's second trip to the Octagon.

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Alex Caceres

Takeya Mizugaki wound up on the wrong side of a controversial decision at UFC 144, as he was handed a loss despite maintaining the top position against Chris Cariaso for most of their fight.

Suffering a loss in his most recent outing due to a two-point deduction for kicking his opponent in the groin, Alex Caceres is in a similar position as Mizugaki.

A bout between these two fighters would ensure that at least one of them picks up a well-deserved win in the near future.

Chris Cariaso vs. John Dodson-Darren Uyenoyama Winner

Chris Cariaso may have been awarded a victory over Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 144, but the time he spent on his back showed that he should probably make the move to the flyweight division for his next fight.

He has said he'd be interested in dropping to 125 pounds in the past, so Cariaso should make the move while the UFC's division is still forming, which would give him the chance to make a quick rise to the top.

Whether he won or lost against Mizugaki, Cariaso was still very competitive with a former WEC title contender at bantamweight.

Therefore, he should mix it up with top 135-pound fighters right away. Let's give Cariaso some time to prepare for the weight cut before he takes a fight with the winner of a May bout between John Dodson and Darren Uyenoyama.

Riki Fukuda vs. Rafael Natal

After some believed he was robbed of a win in his UFC debut, Riki Fukuda picked up his first victory inside the Octagon at UFC 144.

With his decision win over Steve Cantwell, the 31-year-old Fukuda can now look toward moving up the middleweight ladder.

A bout with Rafael Natal, who has won two straight fights, could make sense for Fukuda's next appearance. 

Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Jared Papazian

A loser of five of his past six fights, Norifumi Yamamoto is in danger of being released from the UFC. 

Had Yamamoto been completely dominated by Vaughan Lee at UFC 144, there probably wouldn't be any question about whether or not his UFC career would be over. However, Yamamoto did have some success in front of his home fans and rocked Lee badly at one point.

Yoshihiro Akiyama, a much less accomplished fighter than Yamamoto, just lost a fourth straight fight at the same event. Yamamoto deserves a shot at avoiding his fourth consecutive defeat against a fighter like Jared Papazian. 

Vaughan Lee vs. Ivan Menjivar

Competing in his opponents home country at UFC 144, Vaughan Lee had his hands full in trying to avoid a second straight loss against Norifumi Yamamoto.

However, Lee overcame the adversity of being rocked by his Japanese opponent to win the fight via submission.

Coming off a similar performance against John Albert in which he was staggered with a head kick before winning by rear naked choke, Ivan Menjivar would make for an interesting opponent for Lee.

Eiji Mitsuoka vs. Anton Kuivanen

Though he was knocked out in the second round of his fight with Takanori Gomi at UFC 144, Eiji Mitsuoka showed he belonged in the UFC by nearly submitting the former Pride champion with a mounted triangle choke as the opening frame came to an end.

Still, Mitsuoka will likely now be matched up with a fellow UFC newcomer who lost his first fight inside the Octagon. A bout with Anton Kuivanen could make since, since both fighters showed some promise in their respective debuts with the organizations.

Takanori Gomi vs. Thiago Tavares

As great as it was for Takanori Gomi to get a win in his return to Japan, he didn't look at his best in the first round of his fight at UFC 144 when he was nearly submitted by a mounted triangle choke.

Gomi will probably meet another well-known fighter coming off a win, but it won't be a current contender in the lightweight division.

A jiu-jitsu black belt with 11 career submissions, Thiago Tavares could test Gomi's ability to keep the fight standing and avoid being submitted.

Joe Lauzon vs. Nik Lentz

After recording one of the upsets of the year in 2011 with a submission win over Melvin Guillard, Joe Lauzon wasn't able to shock the world again at UFC 144, where he was knocked out by former WEC champion Anthony Pettis in the first round.

Now, it's back to the drawing board for Lauzon, who could meet Nik Lentz in a matchup where each fighter would be able to test the other in all areas.

Bart Palaszewski vs. Michihiro Omigawa

A knockout win over Tyson Griffin in his featherweight debut put Bart Palaszewski in position to quickly contend for a title shot.

Unfortunately, Palaszewski's hopes of facing off against Jose Aldo in the near future were dashed by Hatsu Hioki at UFC 144.

Now, Palaszewski will probably look to bounce back against another veteran coming off a loss. Michihiro Omigawa would fit that description.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Jose Aldo

After a lackluster win over George Roop in his UFC debut, Hatsu Hioki performed much better in his return to Japan at UFC 144.

With his victory over Bart Palaszewski, Hioki has reemerged as the top contender in the 145-pound division, making him the most logical choice for champion Jose Aldo's next opponent if Frankie Edgar doesn't decide to drop down from lightweight.

Yushin Okami vs. Demian Maia

Had Yushin Okami's fight with Tim Boetsch at UFC 144 ended after two rounds, the Japanese fighter would be right back in the hunt for a title shot.

However, an incredible comeback knockout by Boetsch will probably force Okami to take a fight with another opponent coming off a loss.

Demian Maia would at least be a notable opponent who would give Okami a chance to rebound and make people forget about this tough-to-swallow loss to Boetsch.

Tim Boetsch vs. Chris Weidman

Many thought Yushin Okami would be too much too soon for Tim Boetsch, and that was the case through the first two rounds of their fight on Saturday night.

However, an epic come-from-behind win in the final frame has Boetsch undeniably set up for a fight with another highly ranked middleweight.

Boetsch and Chris Weidman, who narrowly defeated Demian Maia on short notice, could probably use one more fight before taking on an elite contender, so let's match them up against one another and see which fighter is more ready to contend for the title.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Mike Pierce

Yoshihiro Akiyama may have suffered his fourth straight loss at UFC 144, but he looked much improved in his debut at welterweight.

The Japanese fighter easily stuffed a majority of Jake Shields' takedowns, but a lack of aggression hurt him on the scorecards.

Given his somewhat strong showing against a former title contender in Shields, Akiyama should be given one last shot to remain on the UFC roster. 

A bout with Mike Pierce would make for some interesting clinch work between the powerful wrestler and judo black belt. 

Jake Shields vs. Thiago Alves-Martin Kampmann Winner

Though it was far from a flawless performance, Jake Shields worked tirelessly to claim victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama on Saturday night.

Shields still has plenty of work to do on his stand-up game before he will be ready for another title shot. A bout with the winner of a UFC on FX 2 fight between strikers Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann could force Shields to work harder to improve on his feet.

More specifically, a rematch with Kampmann would generate some interest, as Shields' first fight with the Xtreme Couture product ended in controversy.

Cheick Kongo vs. Roy Nelson

Opting to stand with a former K-1 World Grand Prix champion turned out to be a bad idea for Cheick Kongo at UFC 144, as he was knocked out by Mark Hunt in the opening round.

At 36 years old, Kongo's chances of earning a shot at the heavyweight bout are now becoming slim. A fight with Roy Nelson, who is also coming off a loss, would give Kongo the chance at a big bounce-back win.

Mark Hunt vs. Mike Russow

After losing six straight fights, Mark Hunt has rebounded with three consecutive victories and is on the verge of becoming a legitimate heavyweight contender at 37 years old.

Despite his incredible win over Cheick Kongo at UFC 144, there are still plenty of questions about Hunt's ground game.

Let's set Hunt up against Mike Russow, a fighter who isn't even going to consider standing with the former K-1 World Grand Prix champion, to see if he has improved at defending takedowns and fighting off his back.

Quinton Jackson vs. Rich Franklin

Whether it was due to injury or not, Quinton Jackson's standing in the light heavyweight division took a big hit with his loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 144.

Prior to the fight, Jackson took exception to comments made by Rich Franklin on the former 205-pound champion's inability to make weight for Saturday's contest.

Though Franklin is considerably lower on the light heavyweight totem pole than Jackson, "Rampage" has never been one to shy away from a grudge match.

Ryan Bader vs. Phil Davis

In the biggest win of his career, Ryan Bader went back to his wrestling to defeat Quinton Jackson in the former Pride star's old stomping grounds of Japan.

Despite recent losses to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz, Bader is now ready to make another run at the title. 

Though Phil Davis is coming off a loss to Rashad Evans, there would be some intrigue in matching up two of the younger contenders in the division, with the winner potentially moving within one fight of a shot at the belt.

Frankie Edgar vs. Nate Diaz-Jim Miller Winner

UFC president made it no secret that he would like to see Frankie Edgar drop down to the featherweight division after his loss to Benson Henderson in a title fight at UFC 144.

However, Edgar isn't one to give up on something. The New Jersey native didn't give up when he was rocked in the first round of two consecutive fights against Gray Maynard and he probably won't be giving up on reclaiming the lightweight title before moving to 145 pounds.

Let's give the former champion some time to gather himself before he meets the winner of a May fight between Nick Diaz and Jim Miller. Should Edgar beat either one of those opponents, he would be deserving of a shot at the winner of the next potential bout on this list.

Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis

Frankie Edgar was right to campaign for a rematch with Benson Henderson after losing a narrow decision, as Edgar was forced to give rematches to B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard when he was champion.

However, Anthony Pettis was once denied a rematch due to an Edgar rematch, so denying him a title shot once again after his head-kick knockout of Joe Lauzon would be just as unfair as denying Edgar his rematch with Henderson.

Not to mention that given the choice, most MMA fans would probably prefer to see a rematch between Pettis and Henderson than another fight between Edgar and Henderson.

The timing for this flashback to the final fight in WEC history just works out too perfectly to pass up. Queue up the "Showtime" kick highlights and let's get the promotions for this Henderson-Pettis II ready to roll.