4 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight: Sterling vs. Zalal

Aljamain Sterling remains one of the best fighters in the world.

On Saturday night, the former bantamweight champion improved to 3-1 as a featherweight, defeating streaking Moroccan contender Youssef Zalal with a lopsided unanimous decision victory. The win was proof that, even at 36 years old, and in a new division, he still has the skills to challenge just about anybody. It also made him one of the top contenders for a crack at reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski.

Saturday's co-headliner was contested in the women's bantamweight division, where streaking contenders Norma Dumont and Joselyne Edwards collided in pursuit of a title shot. It ultimately went the way of Edwards by decision, who is now riding five straight wins, including four finishes.

Other big winners of Saturday's card included Mexican lightweight Rafa Garcia, who scored a third straight win with a decision defeat of Alexander Hernandez, and former light heavyweight contender Ryan Spann, who picked up his biggest win as a heavyweight, knocking out BJJ legend Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida.

Here's what we'd like to see next for the victorious Sterling, as well as some matchup suggestions for Edwards, Garcia, and Spann.

Aljamain Sterling vs. Yair Rodriguez

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

After his impressive victory over Zalal, Sterling is now 3-1 as a featherweight, having also beaten Brian Ortega and Calvin Kattar, and losing only to undefeated contender Movsar Evloev.

That streak has turned him into one of the top contenders for the featherweight title, currently held by Australian legend Alexander Volkanovski.

It's possible Sterling will get the next crack at the champ. His streak is impressive enough to warrant the opportunity, and his status as a dominant champ at bantamweight strengthens his case.

However, that would represent something of a travesty for Evloev, who has not only beaten Sterling but also many other top contenders in the division. He simply deserves the opportunity slightly more, and should get it first.

In that event, the best option for Sterling is seemingly Mexico's Yair Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has been in the featherweight top 10 for years, but his place in the rankings is becoming increasingly dubious, as he fights very infrequently, with only a win over Patricio "Pitbull" Freire in the last two years.

He will need to fight soon if he intends to keep his position, and would frankly be lucky to get a fight with somebody as much momentum and clout as Sterling at this point.

It's also an interesting style clash on paper, as Rodriguez is one of the most unorthodox strikers in the sport while Sterling is one of its most imposing grapplers.

Joselyne Edwards vs. Julianna Pena

With five straight wins behind her, Joselyne Edwards has more than earned a crack at the women's bantamweight title. Unfortunately, it's probably not going to happen.

The title is currently in the hands of former Olympic judoka Kayla Harrison. She was set to defend her title against returning legend Amanda Nunes in January, but was sidelined with a neck injury that required surgery.

That was bad news for contenders such as Edwards, who will now have to wait for Harrison to recover and fight Nunes at a later date.

Unless Edwards intends to wait around all year for a crack at the Harrison vs. Nunes winner, she will need to fight again in the meantime. If that's the way things go, the obvious choice is a clash with former champ and current No. 1 contender Julianna Pena.

Pena, who has not fought since she was submitted by Harrison last summer, seems content to sit on the sidelines and maintain her ranking by fighting as infrequently as possible.

That strategy has served her remarkably well so far, but it won't work forever. It's time for her to justify her elevated position in the division by facing a top contender, and there's no better option in that regard than Edwards.

In the event that Pena turns down the matchup, which seems quite possible, former champ Raquel Pennington would make a good backup option, as she too needs to get active if she intends to keep her place in the division's top five.

Rafa Garcia vs. Ludovit Klein

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

After a decision win over lightweight veteran Alexander Hernandez on Saturday, Mexico's Rafa Garcia is now riding three straight wins and closing in on a fight with a ranked opponent, even if he's not quite there yet.

From here, the best choice for the rising lightweight would be somebody like Ludovit Klein.

The Slovakian has been in the UFC for roughly the same amount of time as Garcia, and like his Mexican counterpart, has been just a little too inconsistent to make a meaningful run to the top of division. However, he's now 7-1-1 in his last eight fights, which has put him in a similar orbit to Garcia.

A fight between them would make a nice addition to any upcoming main card, and it would give the winner a strong argument for a contest with a ranked opponent.

Ryan Spann vs. Mario Pinto

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

After a somewhat forgettable run at light heavyweight, Ryan Spann has seemingly found new life as a heavyweight. His latest win in the division, a massive knockout win over BJJ icon and former ONE Championship star Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida, was easily his best performance so far, and it should set him up for a big fight.

Our pick for Spann's next opponent would Portugal's Mario Pinto.

Pinto, like Spann, is a towering specimen at 6'5", and possesses similar knockout power. At 12-0 overall, and 3-0 in the UFC, he's ready for a high-profile fight, and a clash with Spann would be just that.

It would almost certainly end in a knockout, and the winner would be ready for a fight with somebody in the top 15, maybe even the top 10.