UFC 134 Results: Matchmaking for Anderson Silva and the Other Main-Card Fighters

Anderson Silva continued his run of dominance with a second-round technical knockout of Yushin Okami at UFC 134. With another middleweight challenger disposed of, Silva is running out of legitimate competition within his weight division.

In a rematch of a fight that he lost in September 2007, Mauricio Rua overwhelmed Forrest Griffin for a first-round knockout. With most of the light heavyweight division's top contenders locked into fights already, there aren't a lot of options for Rua's next potential step toward reclaiming his belt.

After missing more than a year due to injury, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira showed that he still has something left in the tank by stopping Brendan Schaub in the first round. With 40 fights under his belt, Nogueira has already mixed it up with most of the elite heavyweights in the world.

Who is next for these Brazilian legends and the rest of the competitors on the UFC 134 main card? Let's take a look.

Luiz Cane vs. Karlos Vemola

After suffering a disappointing loss to UFC newcomer Stanislav Nedkov, Luiz Cane is in need of a win to keep his UFC career alive. Cane has now lost three of his last four, so a loss in his next fight could mean his release from the organization.

A fight with Karlos Vemola, who also lost to a UFC rookie in his last appearance, seems to make the most sense for Cane.

Vemola presents a lot of the same problems for Cane that Nedkov did. Vemola's wild striking style and powerful ground-and-pound would test Cane's ability to improve from fight to fight.

Stanislav Nedkov vs. Igor Pokrajac

It was far from perfection, but Stanislav Nedkov's strategy of throwing his overhand right repeatedly eventually paid off in the form of a first-round technical knockout victory over Luiz Cane.

Nedkov's next opponent inside the Octagon could be fellow Southeast European Igor Pokrajac. The Croatian Pokrajac is also looking to move up the 205-pound division ladder after a first-round knockout in his last appearance.

A dominant win over Pokrajac would make the Bulgarian an interesting new face among an otherwise familiar batch of light heavyweight contenders.

Brendan Schaub vs. Roy Nelson

After suffering an upset loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brendan Schaub must take a step back and make some adjustments if he wants to become a serious heavyweight contender.

Whether Roy Nelson wins or loses in his upcoming fight against Mirko Filipovic, a rematch between him and Schaub would make the most sense for both competitors. Even with a a dominant win over Filipovic, Nelson would probably not be ready for a fight with one of the elite heavyweights in the UFC.

Therefore, a rewind to the fight that allowed both individuals to earn a spot in the UFC seems fitting.

Avenging his loss to Nelson would allow Schaub to finally prove that he has made major improvements since his time on The Ultimate Fighter, while another win over Schaub would show that Nelson hasn't lost a step in the last couple years.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir

After he sat out for more than a year due to injury, many believed that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira wouldn't have anything left in the tank for his return fight against Brendan Schaub. On the contrary, Nogueira took some of Schaub's hardest shots and fired right back for a first-round knockout.

With the win, Nogueira is primed to make one final run at the UFC Heavyweight Championship. His next step could come in the form of a rematch with Frank Mir, a previously scheduled meeting that Nogueira was forced to withdraw from in August 2010.

Avenging his loss to Mir from UFC 92 would put Nogueira in the mix for a title shot that seemed impossible only a few days ago.

Ross Pearson vs. Nik Lentz

Ross Pearson came away on the losing end of his UFC 134 fight with Edson Barboza, but he performed well against the fast-rising Brazilian prospect.

There are obviously plenty of options for Pearson's next fight in the incredibly deep lightweight division, but let's give him a matchup with another fighter who is coming off of a controversial fight against a young Brazilian.

Nik Lentz was initially named the loser in his last fight against Charles Oliveira. However, replays showed that an illegal knee led to his submission loss, so the fight was overturned to a no contest.

The winner of a potential fight between Pearson and Lentz would find themselves right back in the mix for a fight with a contender, while the loser wouldn't take too much heat for losing against a tough opponent.

Edson Barboza vs. Dennis Siver

Edson Barboza found himself in another toe-to-toe striking match against Ross Pearson at UFC 134. Once again, he was awarded a narrow decision victory when all was said and done.

Barboza has now shown that he is worthy of a fight with one of the lightweight division's contenders, so another stand-up fight could be in the making against Dennis Siver. Sam Stout had been scheduled to fight Siver at UFC 137, but the Canadian withdrew from that fight earlier today.

The opening at UFC 137 left by Stout presents an intriguing opportunity for Barboza. The Brazilian would have two months to get ready for a fight with Siver. Although the short notice would put Barboza's undefeated record at risk, it would give him a chance to jump into the the mix for a lightweight title shot.

Forrest Griffin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

After winning two straight fights against Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin's run at trying to reclaim the light heavyweight belt came to an end in the form of a first-round knockout loss to Mauricio Rua.

A rubber match with Ortiz could be intriguing, but UFC president Dana White has displayed interest in putting together a fight between "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" and Franklin. That leaves Antonio Rogerio Nogueira as the best option for Griffin's next bout.

Griffin has been fighting past, present or eventual UFC champions since his first fight with Rua, so it is time for him to take a step back against a fighter who is a middle-of-the-road light heavyweight right now in Nogueira.

Mauricio Rua vs. Jon Jones-Quinton Jackson Loser

With his dominant performance against Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, Mauricio Rua finds himself back in the running for another shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

With most of the legitimate light heavyweight contenders locked into scheduled matchups right now, Rua must wait for the outcome of one of these blockbuster fights.

The matchup that would most likely earn Rua the quickest chance to reclaim his belt would be a rematch with the loser of an upcoming title fight between Jon Jones and Quinton Jackson.

Yushin Okami vs. Vitor Belfort

Despite training with Chael Sonnen in the months leading up to his UFC 134 fight against Anderson Silva, Yushin Okami attempted only one takedown against the UFC middleweight champion.

When Okami failed to close the distance quickly in the second round, Silva took advantage and dropped the Japanese fighter twice. A jab was all Silva needed to stun Okami the first time. Then, a short lead uppercut led to a technical knockout.

Now a name on Silva's long list of victims, Okami will likely have to wait until Silva is no longer champion in order to get another shot at the belt. One fight that could keep Okami near the top of the middleweight pecking order is a matchup against Vitor Belfort.

Belfort is looking to make a quick climb to the top of the division after also being knocked out by Silva, so a win over Okami would be an excellent way for him to make a statement.

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen-Brian Stann Winner

Many have said that it is impossible for a champion to really clear out a division. If that is true, then no fighter has come closer to doing so than Anderson Silva.

Literally, the only intriguing matchup that currently remains for Silva in the middleweight division is a rematch with Chael Sonnen, and the only reason anyone wants to see that bout is because Sonnen came close to beating an injured Silva.

If Silva can stifle the winner of a fight between Sonnen and Brian Stann, superfights might be the only options left for the greatest fighter in MMA history.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.