UFC on FOX: What's Next for the Winners

Saturday was a big night for the UFC and MMA, as the heavyweight division was highlighted with the first show on FOX.

In the main event, Brazilian striker and heavyweight power-puncher Junior dos Santos didn't take long in knocking out Cain Velasquez to win the title. With the win, dos Santos remains unbeaten in the UFC while Velasquez recorded his first loss.

Also, a new lightweight title challenger emerged in former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson, who defeated Clay Guida by unanimous decision in the co-main event. Although it didn't get aired on television, it was on every fan's must-watch list, and it was worth it.

Other winners included Dustin Poirier, Ricardo Lamas and Mike Pierce.

This is what's next for the night's biggest winners.

Mike Pierce Def. Paul Bradley by Split-Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

In a rematch of a 2009 bout that Mike Pierce won, the former NCAA Division I wrestler overcame another standout wrestler in Paul Bradley to win by split-decision on the undercard.

After testing his opponent early on the standup, Pierce was able to utilize his clinch and deliver some knees and leg kicks to win most of the rounds on the judges' scorecards.

One judge had Bradley winning, but it was Pierce who was clearly in control for the majority of the bout and landing the heavier blows. Bradley was the more damaged of the two by the end of the fight.

Pierce has already had experience fighting the best of the division, which includes prominent opponents Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks. He came up short in both, but was competitive against each.

One possible opponent for him includes Thiago Alves, who recently defeated Papy Abedi at UFC 138. He could also take on Josh Neer, who recently returned to the UFC and is on a five-fight win streak.

Darren Uyenoyama Def. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto by Unanimous Decision

UFC newcomer Darren Uyenoyama came into his fight with Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto as an underdog, but his grappling skills were not to be underrated, and they carried him to victory over three rounds of bantamweight action.

The Japanese standout had big dreams of making it in the UFC, but after his loss to Uyenoyama, he falls to 0-2 in the organization.

With the victory, Uyenoyama improves to 7-3 and gets his first win inside the Octagon. It gives him a lot of momentum considering he was heavily underrated going into the bout.

For his next fight, he can test his skills against the upper echelon of bantamweights like Scott Jorgensen, or he can face another up-and-comer like Michael McDonald.

Ricardo Lamas Def. Cub Swanson by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) in Round 2

Ricardo "The Bully" Lamas is only a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but it was enough to submit Cub Swanson, who is a black belt and a veteran of the sport.

With the arm-triangle choke victory, Lamas improves to 11-2 in MMA and 2-0 in the UFC. His first victory came over Matt Grice in June.

Lamas also had a 4-2 record in the WEC with a win over Bart Palaszewski, so his place is set in the UFC's featherweight division.

For his next fight, he could face Michihiro Omigawa, who recently beat Jason Young at UFC 138.

Dustin Poirier Def. Pablo Garza by Submission (D'Arce Choke) in Round 2

The featherweight division got a new top contender in Dustin Poirier, who defeated Pablo Garza by submission to improve his UFC record to 3-0.

Poirier looked good in the first round, and took advantage of top control in Round 2 to sink in the d'arce choke. Garza had no choice but to tap.

Poirier emerges as a top-10 featherweight, and his wins include those over Jason Young, Josh Grispi and Zach Micklewright. His only blemish is against Danny Castillo.

The next big step in line for Poirier is a possible bout with Hatsu Hioki on February's Japan card, which could be intriguing. It could also be a No. 1 contender fight.

If not Hioki, then he could face another prospect in Erik Koch.

Ben Henderson Def. Clay Guida by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

In the most anticipated lightweight matchup in recent memory, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida battled for a shot to face current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.

After three rounds of action, Henderson emerged as the winner with a unanimous decision and put himself in line for a shot at Edgar, who recently avenged his only career loss by defeating Gray Maynard at UFC 136.

It will be Henderson's first title shot in the UFC, but he has experienced five-round fights before when he was in the WEC. He went 1-1 in them against Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis.

The fight with Edgar is anticipated to go down in February at UFC 144.

Junior Dos Santos Def. Cain Velasquez by TKO in Round 1

It was a big night for the UFC, and Junior dos Santos emerged as the heavyweight champion after knocking out Cain Velasquez in the first round of the title fight.

Going in, it was anticipated to be one of the most competitive and evenly-matched fights in the history of the UFC.

Dos Santos proved he was better than most had thought after dropping Velasquez and following up with some brutal ground and pound to get the knockout victory. He improves to 8-0 in the UFC.

The No. 1 contender for dos Santos' title will emerge from the upcoming UFC 141 fight between former UFC champion Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem. They will fight on Dec. 31.