4 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Dolidze

There's no question Anthony Hernandez is one of the best middleweights in the world right now.

"Fluffy" was back in action in the main event of Saturday's UFC event in Las Vegas—the promotion's second-straight card at the Apex. His opponent was Georgia's Roman Dolidze, a giant middleweight who had not been finished in his 18 previous fights.

Hernandez became the first man to finish Dolidze, dismissing the cage-side judges with a vicious, fourth-round rear-naked choke. It was an extremely impressive performance, and his eighth victory in a row. With so much momentum behind him, he will face only the best middleweights in the world from here.

Saturday's co-main event saw former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg score a sorely-needed win, bouncing back from three straight losses with a decision victory against Ode Osbourne. Osbourne was the third man Erceg was supposed to fight on the card, after fights with Alex Perez and Hyun Sung Park fell through, so the Aussie deserves even more praise for pulling off the win. He'll get a big name next time out.

Two women also scored impressive victories on Saturday. On the main card, No. 8 strawweight contender Iasmin Lucindo picked up a decision win over experienced veteran Angela Hill to rebound from a decision loss against Amanda Lemos last time out. On the undercard, bantamweight Joselyne Edwards scored one of the best finishes of the night, flattening the tough Priscila Cachoeira with a right hand.

The UFC matchmakers will have some interesting choices to make for all of the card's big winners. Here are four fights they should consider come decision time.

Anthony Hernandez vs. Reinier de Ridder

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Anthony Hernandez is one of several middleweights who arguably deserve a title shot right now, but will have to wait for the opportunity thanks to the UFC's recent matchmaking decisions.

The title will next be up for grabs at UFC 319 this coming Saturday, when champion Dricus Du Plessis defends his belt against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. There are multiple middleweights in prime position for a fight with the winner. That includes Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, who are set to fight in Paris next month, as well as Reinier de Ridder and now Hernandez.

With Imavov and Borralho already set to fight, it only makes sense to match Hernandez and de Ridder up. Truth be told, it's unlikely either of them wants to be fighting anybody other than the champion right now, but that seems like their only choice. The alternative is waiting around for a title shot, at risk of losing their spot to somebody who's been more active.

The good news is that Hernandez vs. de Ridder is a fantastic fight on paper, as both men are world-class MMA grapplers with ever-improving standup—and tons of momentum behind them. It's also very possible that the victor could leapfrog the Imavov-Borralho winner and lock up a fight with whomever holds the belt after UFC 319.

Steve Erceg vs. Asakura-Elliott winner

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To say Steve Erceg needed a win in Las Vegas would be an understatement.

The Aussie was on a serious spiral heading into his fight with Ode Osbourne. First, he put up a valiant effort in an unexpected title shot against Alexandre Pantoja, only to lose a decision. Then he suffered a brutal knockout loss to Kai Kara-France, and most recently suffered a decision setback against former champ Brandon Moreno.

Erceg's win over Osbourne didn't put him back in title contention, but it kept him from the chopping block.

From here, the UFC has some options for him. They could match him up with Manel Kape. They could also pit him against Tatsuro Taira. However, both of those men are a step ahead of him in the rankings, so it probably makes more sense to have them fight each other. In that event, Erceg could take on the winner of next Saturday's Kai Asakura vs. Tim Elliott.

If the UFC agrees, we get an exciting matchup no matter who wins. Then again, it's hard to make a boring fight at flyweight these days. The division has really come a long way.

Iasmin Lucindo vs. Tabatha Ricci

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Iasmin Lucindo's stock took a hit when she lost a decision to former title challenger Amanda Lemos in March. However, it's important to remember that the Brazilian is still just 23, making her the youngest female fighter on the UFC roster right now. That gives her a lot of time to evolve.

Lucindo showed the latest step in her evolution in Last Vegas on Saturday, when she picked up a decision win over Angela Hill, a woman 17 years her senior. After the win, she is once again looking toward the top of the division, where only tough challenges await.

From here, the UFC should match her up with her countrywoman, Tabatha Ricci.

Ricci closed out 2024 with a tough decision loss to former title challenger Yan Xiaonan. A little over two weeks ago, she rebounded from that loss in style, stopping Amanda Ribas with a barrage of second-round strikes.

Ricci and Lucindo are ranked No. 7 and 8, respectively, and on similar trajectories. It only makes sense to match them up and see who's ready for the next step.

Joselyne Edwards vs. Irene Aldana

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Joselyne Edwards is proving herself as one of the most dangerous finishers in the UFC women's bantamweight division. The Panamanian's Saturday KO of Priscila Cachoeira was the seventh KO and eleventh finish of her career. It was also her third and row, following another knockout against Chelsea Chandler and a submission win over Tamires Vidal.

With so much momentum behind her, Edwards deserves a big step up. A fight with Mexico's Irene Aldana seems like the right move. Edwards called out Aldana post-fight, and there's plenty of reason to oblige her. Aldana, a former title challenger, remains the division's No. 6-ranked fighter, but with a tough loss to Norma Dumont behind her, isn't in a position to call for somebody above her in the top-15.

So let's see if she can slow the momentum of the fast-rising Edwards. At the very least, she's one of the few women in the division with more KOs than Edwards, so it should be a fun one for as long as it lasts.