UFC on Fuel 10 Results: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card

Fabricio Werdum took another step toward his first UFC title shot on Saturday, when he submitted Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the UFC on Fuel TV 10 main event.

Undefeated since returning to the Octagon, Werdum has emerged as one of the top contenders in the heavyweight division and could even be next in line for a title shot behind former opponent Junior dos Santos. Nogueira, meanwhile, continues his pattern of alternating wins and losses as his career winds down.

UFC on Fuel TV 10 also crowned the winner of the TUF: Brazil 2 welterweight tournament. Though he lost in the competition's semifinals, Leonardo Santos replaced Santiago Ponzinibbio and defeated William Patalino to earn a guaranteed UFC contract.

With another UFC event in the books, let's take a look at what should be next for Werdum, Nogueira and the rest of the UFC on Fuel TV 10 competitors.

Anthony Smith vs. Brad Tavares-Bubba McDaniel Loser

Anthony Smith did not impress in his UFC debut and is already in danger of being released following back-to-back losses.

Fellow UFC newcomer Antonio Braga Neto was able to drag Smith into his realm in the first round and snagged a kneebar in the middle of a scramble for positioning. Smith tapped almost immediately and appeared to have suffered a significant knee injury as a result of the submission.

If the UFC does opt to keep Smith around, it's unlikely he'll compete again soon. A bout with the loser of a UFC on Fox Sports 1 No. 2 matchup between Brad Tavares and Bubba McDaniel could give Smith some time to recover from whatever injury he absorbed. 

Caio Magalhaes vs. Rafael Natal

After starting slow, Caio Magalhaes rallied to beat Karlos Vemola and pick up his first UFC win at UFC on Fuel TV 10.

Magalhaes was taken down and beaten up in the first round of his bout with Vemola on Saturday. However, Vemola faded in the second stanza, and Magalhaes capitalized by scoring his own takedown and completing the comeback with a submission.

Rafael Natal may have several more UFC wins than Magalhaes, but he was unimpressive in victory against Joao Zeferino in his latest outing. So, a step down and fight with Magalhaes wouldn't be out of the question.

Mizuto Hirota vs. Estevan Payan

Mizuto Hirota has lost three straight fights following a split decision with Rodrigo Damm, but the back-and-forth striking match at UFC on Fuel TV 10 could save the Japanese featherweight from being released.

In their bout on Saturday, Damm was able to land with more frequency than Hirota, who plodded forward and looked to land a knockout blow.

At this point in his career, it's unlikely the 32-year-old Hirota will change his approach. So, should he enter the Octagon again, let's make the most of it by matching him with another heavy hitter in Estevan Payan.

Rodrigo Damm vs. Rani Yahya-Josh Clopton Winner

Rodrigo Damm avoided a second straight loss by picking apart power puncher Mizuto Hirota on Saturday. 

As Hirota stalked Damm around the Octagon, the Brazilian responded by taking advantage of his opponents low hands with quick strikes. Damm also scored multiple takedowns to secure round wins on the scorecards.

Since Rani Yahya also picked up a decision win over Hirota recently, it'd make sense to have him test Damm should he pick up a win over Josh Clopton at UFC 163.

Vaughan Lee vs. Marcos Vinicius

At UFC on Fuel TV 10, Vaughan Lee was given a big opportunity against a top-10 bantamweight, despite being only one fight removed from a first-round submission loss to T.J. Dillashaw.

As most expected, Raphael Assuncao was too much for Lee, who was submitted once again with an armbar in the second stanza. Lee looked good at moments when standing, but his ground game still needs improvement before he can truly hang with elite 135-pound fighters.

Lee needs to take a big step down and work on some things as he climbs back up the ladder. A bout with Marcos Vinicius should give Lee a good chance to add new wrinkles to his game.

Raphael Assuncao vs. T.J. Dillashaw

In beating Vaughan Lee on Saturday, Raphael Assuncao stretched his winning streak to four fights since moving to the bantamweight class.

Assuncao was a significant favorite heading into this bout and exploited his opponent's weakness by taking Lee to the ground and working toward a submission. 

Now, Assuncao can get back to competing against the upper-echelon bantamweights he deserves to be fighting. A bout with T.J. Dillashaw, who also holds a recent submission victory over Lee, would make sense for Assuncao.

Mike Wilkinson vs. Godofredo Pepey

Coming off his first UFC win, Godofredo Pepey suffered a setback against fellow Brazilian Felipe Arantes at UFC on Fuel TV 10. After being taken down early, Pepey swept Arantes and landed in full mount. However, Pepey was quickly reversed himself and ate a series of elbows that led to the end of the fight.

Mike Wilkinson also found himself being stopped in the first round on Saturday. Following a takedown of opponent Rony Jason, Wilkinson was caught in a triangle choke and went unconscious before he could tap.

Wilkinson and Pepey are both TUF veterans who have lost to Jason, so a matchup between the two featherweights should be next.

Rony Jason vs. Felipe Arantes

Rony Jason remained unbeaten inside the Octagon at UFC on Fuel TV 10. With his first-round submission of Mike Wilkinson, Jason went to 3-0 against TUF veterans in his home country of Brazil.

Fellow Brazilian Felipe Arantes also picked up a victory on Saturday. Former Jason opponent Godofredo Pepey met Arantes and was stopped with elbows in the opening stanza.

It's time for Jason to graduate from former TUF participants. Likewise, Arantes is deserving of a more notable opponent for his next outing, and a bout with a TUF winner like Jason will give him some extra attention. A rematch between the two would provide a good indication of which has improved more since they met back in 2009.

Eddie Mendez vs. Karlos Vemola

Eddie Mendez was given a tough task in his UFC debut, meeting Daniel Sarafian in Brazil. Once Sarafian took him to the ground, Mendez was in trouble and found himself stuck in an arm triangle before long.

Karlos Vemola had a much stronger start than Mendez on Saturday, winning the first round of his bout with Caio Magalhaes. Nonetheless, Vemola gassed in the second stanza and was forced to tap midway through the round.

With Mendez looking bad in his first Octagon appearance and Vemola having lost two straight, both middleweights could be fighting for their roster spot soon. A bout between the two would allow one to get back on track and have a chance to prove they belong in the world's top MMA promotion.

Daniel Sarafian vs. Antonio Braga Neto

Daniel Sarafian picked up his first UFC victory on Saturday, when he submitted Eddie Mendez in his home country of Brazil. 

Antonio Braga Neto also had his hand raised for the first time inside the Octagon over the weekend. The UFC newcomer dragged Anthony Smith to the ground in the first round and locked up a kneebar as his opponent looked for a reversal.

Moving forward, a bout between these two bright prospects would allow UFC matchmakers to determine which is more prepared for a step up in competition. 

Jason High vs. Rick Story

Jason High was thrown into the deep end in his return to the Octagon.

A bout with Erick Silva proved too much for High, who was caught in a triangle armbar early and forced to tap. 

Despite the loss, High should be a solid addition to the UFC welterweight division. Like Rick Story, High's gone to a decision with Charlie Brenneman and both fighters are now coming off of a loss, so a bout between the two seems like a strong possibility.

Erick Silva vs. Tyron Woodley-Jake Shields Winner

With a Fight of the Night performance against long-time contender Jon Fitch, Erick Silva didn't need to earn another shot at big-name opponent in the welterweight class.

Silva easily disposed of Strikeforce veteran Jason High on Saturday, securing a submission only 71 seconds into the bout. 

By beating High so effortlessly, Silva proved he's still on the verge of becoming a serious contender in the 170-pound division. A bout with the winner of a UFC 161 bout between Jake Shields and Tyron Woodley could allow Silva to break through.

Rafael Cavalcante vs. James Te-Huna

After a year-long suspension, Rafael Cavalcante made his highly anticipated UFC debut on Saturday, but it did not go as he had planned.

Cavalcante started out strong against Thiago Silva, landing combinations to the body and head. However, "Feijao" faded in the latter half of the first round and got caught on his heels. Silva picked up the pace in the final minute of the first stanza and put Cavalcante away with a right hand.

While it didn't work out for him at UFC on Fuel TV 10, Cavalcante is very entertaining against fellow sluggers. So, let's match him up against James Te-Huna, who is also coming off of a loss.

Thiago Silva vs. Jimi Manuwa

Barring another failed drug test, Thiago Silva picked up his first official win since August 2009 on Saturday.

After weathering an early storm from opponent Rafael Cavalcante, Silva pressured his fading foe and finished the fight in the closing minute of the opening round.

Silva will need a few more wins and clean drug tests before the UFC gives him a bout with a contender, so a bout with another dangerous striker in Jimi Manuwa would make sense for now.

William Patalino vs. Leandro Silva

William Patalino looked to be on his way toward winning TUF: Brazil 2, but his conditioning was not strong enough to carry him through the later rounds. Patalino took Silva down multiple times, but he eventually found himself fatigued on the bottom, which led to a submission loss.

Leandro Silva also fell short in his UFC debut. Silva went the distance with Ildemar Alcantara, but was a clear loser on the scorecards.

A bout between Patalino and Silva would now make sense to determine which welterweight is more deserving of a spot on the UFC roster.

Leonardo Santos vs. Ildemar Alcantara

Leonardo Santos did not even win his semifinal bout on TUF: Brazil 2, but he will forever be known as the winner of the reality show's welterweight tournament.

Santos had trouble dealing with the more athletic William Patalino in the first round, but he outlasted his opponent and wound up on top in the second stanza. Santos secured an arm triangle and earned a guaranteed UFC contract with a submission win.

Ildemar Alcantara also picked up a big win on Saturday. Dropping all the way down from the light heavyweight class, Alcantara edged Leandro Silva on the scorecards in his first bout at 170 pounds.

Still proving himself as a UFC fighter, Alcantara would now be a good test for the latest TUF winner.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Stefan Struve

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's pattern of alternating wins and losses continued at UFC on Fuel TV 10, where he was submitted by Fabricio Werdum.

Nogueira found mixed success in the stand-up department, but his takedown defense showed some holes. On the ground, Werdum proved to be one of the few grapplers better than the former Pride FC champion.

Although he's never going to be a serious heavyweight contender again, Nogueira still has some left in the tank and should try to go out with a win or two. A bout with Stefan Struve would be entertaining both standing and on the ground.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos Winner

Fabricio Werdum may have earned himself a heavyweight title shot by process of elimination.

Against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Werdum showed off his world-class jiu-jitsu by going to the ground and joining Frank Mir as one of only two fighters to submit the former interim UFC heavyweight champion. 

Daniel Cormier would be a perfect opponent for Werdum would he not have already stated that he plans on moving to light heavyweight by the end of 2013. Matching Werdum with Cormier now could end up leaving the UFC without a challenger for the winner of a likely rubber match between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.

With all other elite heavyweight contenders booked for fights in August or having already lost to Werdum in the case of Roy Nelson, "Vai Cavalo" might as well wait things out and fight for the belt in late 2013 or early 2014.