UFC 136 Results: Matches to Make After Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

While Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo put on spectacular performances in defending their titles at UFC 136, it was Chael Sonnen who stole the show by calling out UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

The UFC has not confirmed Sonnen's request has been granted, but UFC president Dana White acknowledged that the rematch makes too much sense to not put together. If Sonnen gets what he wants, his second shot at dethroning Silva will come on Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas.

Including a second meeting between Sonnen and Silva, here are the fights that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva might be looking to put together.

Frankie Edgar vs. Winner Clay Guida/Ben Henderson

After defending his belt in a rematch with B.J. Penn and taking two consecutive appearances to avenge his only career loss to Gray Maynard, UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar can finally look forward to some fresh competition.

Melvin Guillard had been the leading candidate to face the winner of Edgar's third fight with Maynard, but a loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136 spoiled Guillard's hopes of earning a title shot in the near future. 

With Guillard out of the picture, an upcoming lightweight bout between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson could very likely produce the next top contender in the 155-pound division.

Gray Maynard vs. Melvin Guillard

In their respective bouts against Frankie Edgar and Joe Lauzon, Gray Maynard and Melvin Guillard suffered the most devastating losses of their UFC careers.

Once again, Maynard was on the brink of capturing the lightweight title from Edgar. Another first round pounding was followed by a triumphant comeback by Edgar, but this time Maynard ended up losing the fight by knockout in the fourth round.

Quickly rising toward a lightweight title shot, Guillard suffered an upset at the hands of Lauzon, who latched onto a rear naked choke shortly after rocking Guillard with a left hand.

One way for the UFC to ensure one of these fighters get back on track wouldn't be to match them up against one another.

Jose Aldo vs. Winner Hatsu Hioki/George Roop

Chad Mendes may be the toughest contender in the featherweight division, but the UFC hasn't even featured him on one of their main cards yet, so they will likely want to build him up a little more before giving him a title shot.

Conversely, highly-regarded Hatsu Hioki will make his UFC debut on the main card of a blockbuster event in UFC 137. Widely regarded as one of the top featherweights in the world, an impressive win in his UFC debut could be all Hioki needs to earn himself a title shot.

Likewise, an upset over Hioki could put George Roop in a surprising position to contend for the 145-pound belt.

Kenny Florian vs. Nate Diaz

After losing to Jose Aldo at UFC 136, Kenny Florian's foray into the featherweight division became a failure. Unlikely to get another shot at the division's belt before it comes time for him to retire, there is little reason for Florian to make the strenuous cut to 145 pounds.

Florian still has some fight left in him, though, so a return to the lightweight division seems most likely. That being said, he'll look for a fast track to one final shot at a belt. Nate Diaz is coming off of an impressive victory over Takanori Gomi, so he'd make for an interesting opponent for Florian.

Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva II

What can be said about this matchup that hasn't already been said by Chael Sonnen?

With his dominant win over Brian Stann, all signs point toward Sonnen meeting Anderson Silva in a rematch of one of the best fights of 2010. Expect Sonnen to unleash plenty pent-up trash talk over the next few months.

Brian Stann vs. Yushin Okami

In hindsight, the UFC may have rushed Brian Stann along to top middleweight competition a little too quickly. Now that he's been pushed, though, there's no reason to backtrack. Instead, the UFC should pair Stann with another top middleweight to see if he learned anything from his loss to Chael Sonnen.

Yushin Okami does not have an opponent, so the UFC could match the Japanese fighter with Stann. With a win over Okami, Stann could be right back in position to contend for the 185-pound title.

Nam Phan vs. Darren Elkins

With his series against Leonard Garcia behind him, Nam Phan will now look to climb the featherweight ranks. Looking to do the same will be fellow UFC 136 winner Darren Elkins, who picked up a lopsided decision victory over Tie Quan Zhang.

Neither fighter has really done enough to become a serious contender, so a matchup between the two could provide an idea of which one is ready for a step up in competition.

Leonard Garcia vs. Tie Quan Zhang

Since we're pairing up the winners of the UFC 136 featherweight bouts, why not match the event's 145-pound losers against one another as well?

The exciting Leonard Garcia and China's Tie Quan Zhang are both marketable fighters in a division that needs more recognition, so the UFC will want to ensure that one of these two get back on track with a win.

Joe Lauzon vs. Matt Wiman

By beating Melvin Guillard at UFC 136, Joe Lauzon put himself in the race for a lightweight title shot. Instead of rushing Lauzon into another big fight, the UFC may want to make sure his win over Guillard wasn't a fluke.

A matchup with fellow underrated lightweight Matt Wiman would give the UFC an idea of which fighter is ready to take on another top 155-pound contender.

Demian Maia vs. Vitor Belfort

Demian Maia and Vitor Belfort are in the awkward position of being contenders who recently lost definitively to the current champion in their division. Both fighters are extremely talented and capable of making another run at a title shot, though.

Having Maia and Belfort meet each other would help determine which fighter has made enough improvements in their game to warrant another shot at the belt in the near future.

Jorge Santiago vs. Dan Miller

Two talented middleweights, Jorge Santiago and Dan Miller have fallen on tough times as of late. IN fact, it has come to the point where the UFC has to decide whether or not to keep them around at their current price tag.

Santiago was brought back to contend for a title. Now that it is clear he won't be doing that anytime soon, the UFC may decide to match Santiago with Miller in a loser-gets-released bout.

Anthony Pettis vs. Winner Donald Cerrone/Dennis Siver

It wasn't pretty, but Anthony Pettis did enough to pick up a win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 136. With the name recognition he earned from his win over Ben Henderson, Pettis will always be a win or two away from a title shot, so expect the UFC to give him a contender in his next fight.

Donald Cerrone and Dennis Siver are also working their way toward a championship fight, so a bout between Pettis and the winner of that fight could be an entertaining fight of great importance.

Jeremy Stephens vs. Mac Danzig

Not long after Mac Danzig suffered a narrow loss to Matt Wiman, Jeremy Stephens also nearly defeated a lightweight contender before falling just short on the scorecards. 

Danzig and Stephens may be career gatekeepers, but they deserve a chance to get back into the mix to become serious contenders in the lightweight division. Giving them a fight against one another would allow them that opportunity.

Stipe Miocic vs. Dave Herman

Stipe Miocic remained undefeated with a win over the extremely tough Joey Beltran at UFC 136. Now, Miocic will look to live up to lofty expectation and begin his climb up the heavyweight ladder.

A fight with another rising heavyweight, Dave Herman, would be a very intriguing fight and could produce the heavyweight division's next young contender.

Joey Beltran vs. Christian Morecraft

Joey Beltran has now lost three of his last four fights, but his entertaining style and granite chin should earn him another appearance inside the Octagon. 

A bout against another tough, low-tier heavyweight in Christian Morecraft could determine which fighter deserves their spot on the UFC's roster.

Aaron Simpson vs. Alan Belcher

At this point in his career, 37-year-old Aaron Simpson is an ideal gatekeeper in the middleweight division. Simpson may not have what it takes to make a run at the title, but his heavy hands and outstanding wrestling make him a tough fight for anyone.

Alan Belcher was on his way to becoming a contender before an career-threatening eye injury kept him out of action for an extended period. After a win over Jason MacDonald, Belcher could test his skills against Simpson to determine if he is ready for the division's elite.

Eric Schafer vs. Loser Chris Camozzi/Francis Carmont

Eric Schafer was brought back into the UFC as a late replacement for his UFC 136 fight against Aaron Simpson, so he'll get another shot inside the Octagon. His next fight could be his last opportunity to prove himself as a fighter worthy of competing in the UFC, though.

The same will likely be said of the loser of a UFC 137 fight between Chris Camozzi and Francis Carmont. Therefore, a loser-goes-home bout between Schafer and the loser of that fight would make a lot of sense.

Mike Massenzio vs. Rafael Natal

Mike Massenzio may have saved his spot on the UFC roster with his win over Steve Cantwell at UFC 136. A fighter who recently did likewise was Rafael Natal with his victory over Paul Bradley at UFC 133.

Natal is still looking for an opponent, and a matchup with Massenzio seems like an ideal fight for both fighters. The winner of that potential bout would climb another rung on the middleweight ladder.