UFC 138 Results: Matches to Make After Mark Munoz vs. Chris Leben

With his win over Chris Leben at UFC 138, Mark Munoz put himself in position to begin campaigning for a middleweight title shot. With Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson already doing the same, Munoz may still need one more big win before he is given the opportunity to compete for the title, though.

Likewise, bantamweight Renan Barao proved himself to be one of the best 135-pound fighters in the world by finishing Brad Pickett in the first round. The winner of a fight between Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles will likely earn the next shot at bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, but Barao has put himself within striking distance.

With more work to do before they find themselves in a championship bout, here are the opponents Munoz and Barao—along with the rest of UFC 138's competitors—could be looking at next. 

Vaughan Lee vs. Eddie Yagin

Despite dropping a decision in his UFC debut, Vaughan Lee showed some decent offensive wrestling and striking against Chris Cariaso. The UFC will want to retain the fighter from Britain, one of the sport's largest markets, so matchmaker Joe Silva will likely give Lee a winnable fight against another new face the organization.

Lee will likely meet an opponent who is also coming off of a loss in their UFC debut. Having dropped a decision to Junior Assuncao at UFC 135, Eddie Yagin fits that description.

Chris Cariaso vs. Winner of Alex Caceres/Cole Escovedo

In all three of his fights inside the UFC's Octagon, Chris Cariaso has battled to narrow decisions. After winning two of those decisions and dropping one to the up-and-coming Michael McDonald, Cariaso has already gained a wealth of UFC experience.

Cariaso's future may very well be at flyweight, so it is more important for him to continue to gain experience instead of taking a massive step up in competition right now. That is why a bout with the winner of this Saturday's bout between Alex Caceres and Cole Escovedo would make sense for what could possibly be Cariaso's final fight at bantamweight before the UFC introduces a 125-pound division.

Che Mills vs. Josh Neer

Che Mills was incredibly impressive in his UFC debut, knocking out Chris Cope early in the first round of their bout. After proving he is more than worthy of his spot on the UFC roster, it is now time for Mills to be tested against a UFC veteran.

While Josh Neer was only recently invited back into the organization, he is a scrappy and seasoned fighter capable of taking Mills into deep water. If Mills can get past Neer with the ease that he disposed of Cope, then the UFC can look into matching the British fighter against an upper-echelon welterweight.

Jason Young vs. Leonard Garcia

For the second straight fight, Jason Young's take-down defense prevented him from winning a fight that he clearly could have won if he were able to keep it standing. Young is an exciting fighter, so the UFC will want to give him every opportunity to remain in the organization.

A bout with Leonard Garcia would almost guarantee Young the opportunity to show off his striking ability for three rounds. Even if he clearly at a disadvantage, Garcia will continue to stand and throw hay makers with his opponents.

Michihiro Omigawa vs. Mike Brown

It took five tries, but Michihiro Omigawa finally earned his first UFC victory at UFC 138. Despite the victory, Omigawa remains on the outside of the pool of featherweight contenders.

Since a title shot seems out of reach at this point in his career, it might make sense to match Omigawa with the biggest name in the featherweight division who has also fallen from grace. Former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown is coming off of a win, but he is in a similar spot as Omigawa in that he is closing in on the end of his career and likely out of the title picture for good.

Rob Broughton vs. Pat Barry

Despite having back-to-back losses, Rob Broughton and Pat Barry are heavyweights with fairly significant fan bases. Neither seems to have an extremely bright future ahead of them in the sport, but the UFC will likely want to keep at least one of them on the roster.

A bout between the two would bring the best out of both fighters, as the loser would almost certainly be released from the organization.

Philip DeFries vs. Stipe Miocic

Philip DeFries is a promising new addition to the heavyweight division, but he wasn't overly impressive in victory over Rob Broughton on Saturday. A good option for DeFries at this point would be a meeting with another up-and-coming heavyweight.

Stipe Miocic, who recently defeated Joey Beltran in his UFC debut, would make an excellent opponent for DeFries. The winner of a bout between the two would give an indication of which fighter is ready to test themselves against a higher-level opponent.

Justin Edwards vs. Chris Cope

Despite knocking John Maguire down in a first-round onslaught, Justin Edwards faded in the later rounds of his fight at UFC 138. Edwards has now developed a pattern of losing after getting off to a strong start, which is something he'll have to correct quickly if he plans on remaining in the UFC.

Edwards next fight could come against a fellow participant on "The Ultimate Fighter." Chris Cope, who also lost at UFC 138, would allow the UFC to decide which fighter is really deserving of a spot on the organization's welterweight roster.

John Maguire vs. Winner of DaMarques Johnson/Clay Harvison

John Maguire did well to earn a win over Justin Edwards in his UFC debut, but he has a long way to go before he is competing against elite welterweights. Let's match him up against the winner of this Saturday's fight between DaMarques Johnson and Clay Harvison, who also recently defeated Edwards.

Terry Etim vs. Anthony Njokuani

After an extremely long layoff due to injury, Terry Etim made quick work of Edward Faaloloto at UFC 138. By showing he has recovered well, Etim has earned a quick return to the Octagon against a more worthy adversary.

Anthony Njokuani had been scheduled to compete at UFC 138, but his bout was canceled after his opponent was injured in a car accident. With Etim and Njokuani both in good shape, it makes perfect sense to have them meet one another in the near future.  

Cyrille Diabate vs. Karlos Vemola

Cyrille Diabate and Karlos Vemola were both viewed as very talented light heavyweights when they first broke into the UFC. However, both fighters have recently suffered upset losses and will be looking to get back on track.

The UFC should match these two fighters against each other and see which one can learn and improve more effectively as a results of their recent setbacks.

Anthony Perosh vs. Stanislav Nedkov

Anthony Perosh and Stanislav Nedkov are two light heavyweights with plenty of holes in their respective games. However, both fighters have found success despite their one-dimensional styles.

A meeting between Perosh and Nedkov could show which fighter is working harder to improve their overall skill set. 

Papy Abedi vs. Keith Wisniewski

Papy Abedi came up short in his UFC debut, but he was given a tough task in facing former top welterweight contender Thiago Alves. Abedi showed some solid striking before being rocked by the explosive Alves.

Despite the loss, Abedi remains an interesting addition to the division and a fighter the UFC will look to keep around as it breaks into the Swedish market. For that reason, a winnable fight against Keith Wisniewski seems like a strong possibility.

Thiago Alves vs. Siyar Bahadurzada

Heading into UFC 138, Thiago Alves had lost three of his past four bouts and dropped out of contention for the welterweight title. With his impressive win over Papy Abedi, Alves will now look to climb back into the pool of contenders in the 170-pound division.

One intriguing matchup for Alves would be a fight with newly-signed Siyar Bahadurzada. While Bahadurzada hasn't competed in the Octagon, he has been considered one of the better welterweights competing outside of the UFC.

Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page

In front of his compatriots at UFC 138, Brad Pickett was overwhelmed by fast-rising contender Renan Barao. Although he was defeated in his UFC debut, Pickett is still capable of competing with most of the bantamweights in the UFC.

Pickett will most likely receive an opponent who is also coming off of a loss in his next fight. Damacio Page is a good matchup to test Pickett and get him back on track toward becoming a 135-pound contender.

Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen

With another awe-inspiring finish under his belt, Renan Barao is within striking distance of a bantamweight title shot. Since Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles are probably closer to the front of the line, Barao will need another big win before he can fight for the belt, though.

A bout with former top contender Scott Jorgensen will provide a good measuring stick of where Barao's skills stand in relation to bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. With another impressive performance against Jorgensen, Barao would be more than deserving of a title shot.

Chris Leben vs. Demian Maia

If it hadn't been assumed as fact already, UFC 138 solidified Chris Leben's place as a career gatekeeper in the middleweight division. Leben may now meet another 185-pound fighter who has had trouble solidifying himself as a contender.

Demian Maia, who also recently lost to Mark Munoz, could be tested by Leben. While the fight would be mostly geared to determining whether or not Maia is a true contender or not, Leben could also benefit from the matchup if he can come away with a victory.

Mark Munoz vs. Winner of Michael Bisping/Jason Miller

A big win over Chris Leben prompted Mark Munoz to ask for a title shot in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan. However, it seems fairly obvious that Chael Sonnen is ahead of Munoz in line for a championship fight.

Likely still needing another big win to earn a shot at the belt, Munoz may have to beat the winner of a bout between Michael Bisping and Jason Miller. Munoz has trained with Miller in the past, but this would seem like the only logical matchup to determine the next top contender behind Sonnen.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.