UFC on Fox 3 Results: Post-Fight Stock Report

The UFC's third appearance on the Fox network did not disappoint, as lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller battled it out to state their case for a title shot.

Also on the card was a critical welterweight matchup between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck, as well as a key middleweight collision between Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares.

The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ was the host for the event.

Let's take a look at how the night's performances affected the stock of some of the combatants.

Photo: Nate Diaz (L) battles Jim Miller (Josh Hedges/Zuffa, LLC)

Dennis Bermudez: Rising

The Season 14 featherweight runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter picked up his first official Octagon win over Pablo Garza.

Bermudez managed to nail all eight of his takedown attempts against Garza. He also avoided all of Garza’s submission attempts; a problem for Bermudez in the past.

John Dodson: Holding Steady

Winner of the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter in the bantamweight division, Dodson moved back to his more natural weight class: flyweight.

Against UFC newcomer Tim Elliott, Dodson suffered an injury to his left hand in the first round and it hampered his attack for the remainder of the fight.

Despite picking up the decision win, Dodson was far from impressive.

Michael Johnson: Rising

Many expected Ultimate Fighter Season 13 winner Tony Ferguson to steamroll Johnson in their lightweight matchup.

Johnson had other things in mind, however.

By using his speed advantage and a diverse striking attack, Johnson proved that he is evolving as a fighter and has now picked up two straight wins in the Octagon.

Lavar Johnson: Rising

When Johnson moved to the UFC from Strikeforce, many expected the fighter to be one and done with the organization.

Yet Johnson has managed to dispatch both Joey Beltran and Pat Barry, and has secured his spot in the promotion.

There is plenty of room to improve for the heavyweight—as he was mounted by the former K-1 striker Barry—but two straight wins in the Octagon is no small feat.

Rousimar Palhares: Falling

One-trick pony. That may be the best description for the lethal ground specialist.

With one of the best submission attacks in MMA, the Brazilian has taken home plenty of limbs, primarily via heel hook.

However, whenever a fighter finds a way to escape his holds, he comes up short. As was the case against Alan Belcher in New Jersey.

Alan Belcher: Rising

Perhaps the forgotten man in the 185-pound division, Belcher just keeps winning.

With a diverse attack, Belcher showed that he can hang with the best on the ground by escaping a heel hook from Rousimar Palhares.

From there, Belcher used his powerful striking to finish off the Brazilian. He has now won eight of his last 10 fights in the UFC.

Josh Koscheck: Falling

Although many would argue that Koscheck won his fight against Johny Hendricks, the judges disagreed.

That leaves the former title challenger at 2-2 in his last four bouts, with one of those wins being equally as controversial as his loss to Hendricks.

Perhaps the biggest question for the welterweight is where does he go from here?

He's already lost to current champion Georges St-Pierre twice in his career, and at 34 years old and 21 fights into his UFC career, there may not be another title run in his future.

Johny Hendricks: Holding Steady

In most cases, defeating a former title challenger would send your stock through the roof. However, for Hendricks, until he faces the welterweight champion, there's nowhere for him to go.

After finishing perennial top contender Jon Fitch in just 12 seconds at UFC 141, a win over Koscheck should not surprise anyone.

While Hendricks may have to tussle with the Jake Ellenberger-Martin Kampmann winner before he gets a crack at the title, it's hard to argue that he's not worthy of No. 1 contender status.

Jim Miller: Falling

Just one year ago it looked as if New Jersey native Jim Miller was destined to become the UFC lightweight champion—that was, until his seven-fight winning streak was snapped by Benson Henderson.

Since then, Miller was able to defeat Melvin Guillard, but looked overmatched in his headlining bout against Nate Diaz. In fact, it was the first time Miller had ever been finished in his career.

Although Miller's only career losses have come to the upper echelon of the division—Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Henderson and Diaz—he'll likely be forced to put together another significant streak before being considered a contender yet again.

Nate Diaz: Rising

Unlike his opponent, Jim Miller, Diaz was at a crossroads in his career one year ago. The Ultimate Fighter winner had dropped two straight fights in the welterweight division and decided to return to 155 pounds.

It proved to be the right decision, as Diaz easily defeated former Pride champion Takanori Gomi and then out struck former WEC stalwart Donald Cerrone to 2011.

By becoming the first to finish Miller, Diaz made quite the case for a title shot. Even with the Benson Henderson-Frankie Edgar rematch not happening until this fall, Diaz will wait for the winner.

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob's work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.