UFC 131 Results: 4 Fights Diego Nunes Should Take to Rebound

Diego Nunes' loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 131 means a title fight with teammate Jose Aldo will have to be put on hold for at least awhile. Still, Nunes hung in there with Florian for all three rounds and kept the fight close all the way to the end, when he cracked Florian with a punch that buckled the former lightweight contender.

Still, Nunes will now have to start another climb toward a title shot in the newly minted UFC featherweight division. With a number of other lightweights following in Florian's footsteps in dropping to 145 pounds, there are plenty of options for Nunes' next bout.

Here are some of Nunes' most likely opponents for his next fight.

Winner of Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vazquez

Joe Stevenson and Javier Vazquez will meet at UFC Live on Versus 4 in two weeks. Although both fighters lost in their last fight, the winner is sure to gain some momentum based on the interest that will surround Stevenson's debut at featherweight.

Especially if it comes against Stevenson, a win over either one of these fighters would put Nunes right back on track for a fight with one of the top contenders in the division.

Mark Hominick

Considering Mark Hominick's performance against Jose Aldo at UFC 129, it might be hard for the UFC to justify matching Diego Nunes up with an opponent who may be ranked even higher than Florian in the division.

However, there aren't a ton of other options for Hominick's next opponent and this matchup would ensure that one of these fighters would get back on track with a win that could put them right back in the mix for a title shot.

Jason Young

Even in defeat against Dustin Poirier, Jason Young showed at UFC 131 that he has the striking to mix it up with some of the best featherweights in the UFC.

Neither Young nor Nunes appeared to be injured in their UFC 131 fights, so this fight would allow for a quick turnaround for both fighters.

Whether matchmaker Joe Silva puts this fight together or not could depend on whether they want to build Young up slowly or continue to test him against elite featherweights.

Loser of Tyson Griffin vs. Manvel Gamburyan

Win or lose, Tyson Griffin and Manvel Gamburyan are going to be considered threats in the featherweight division after their fight at UFC Live on Versus 4. Nunes' most likely opponent for his next fight could be the loser of this bout.

The UFC will want to ensure that Nunes or the loser of this fight will get back on track and remain relevant, so there's no better way to guarantee that than by matching them up with one another in their next appearance. 

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter here.