(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for UFC 230’s losing fighters?)

UFC 230 took place on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York with a five-fight main card that aired on pay-per-view. A heavyweight championship fight headlined the event, and the belt stayed with Daniel Cormier.

Cormier (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) registered his first heavyweight title defense when he outclassed Derrick Lewis (21-6 MMA, 12-4 UFC) for a second-round submission victory in what appears to be the penultimate bout of his historic career.

Prior to Cormier’s victory, the UFC middleweight division received a shakeup with Ronaldo Souza (26-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC), Jared Cannonier (11-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC), Karl Roberson (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Israel Adesanya (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) picking up crucial wins for the weight class.

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 230’s winning fighters.

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Israel Adesanya

Luke Rockhold

Should fight: Luke Rockhold

Why they should fight: Adesanya proved why he’s arguably the most hyped middleweight in the sport when he scored the biggest victory of his career so far at the expense of Derek Brunson.

Adesanya shined in a first-round TKO victory over Brunson in a matchup that had a bit of heat behind it. His undefeated streak stands at an impressive 15 fights, and at this point, it’s hard to doubt “Stylebender” is a legit player at 185 pounds, and things are about to get quite interesting for him going forward.

Although Adesanya is pushing to get a title shot next, UFC President Dana White showed reluctance toward that narrative. A fight against a former champion like Rockhold (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) would be the next best thing, though, and could be Adesanya’s final hurdle before competing for UFC gold.

Karl Roberson

Julian Marquez

Should fight: Julian Marquez
Why they should fight: In what was an all-middleweight main card outside of the main event, Roberson was in the bout between the least-known athletes. That didn’t stop him from making an impression, though.

Roberson used his platform to show what he’s all about with a unanimous decision victory over Marshman. At this point, he’s nowhere near the name of the other 185-pound fighters who were competing, but getting a victory side-by-side with them is hardly a bad thing for his career going forward.

At this point Roberson is still quite young in the game and has a developing skillset. He should be getting opponents in a similar place in their career, and Marquez (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) fits the description.

Jared Cannonier

Antonio Carlos Junior

Should fight: Antonio Carlos Junior
Why they should fight: Cannonier was presented with a huge opportunity to step up and fight Branch on short notice, and he made sure he didn’t let it pass him by.

In his middleweight debut, Cannonier upset former WSOF champ Branch by second-round TKO and made an immediate impact in his first fight at 185 pounds. Cannonier started his UFC run at heavyweight but has now made it down to his third different weight class. He could be better than ever at middleweight, and that’s a solid addition for the weight class.

By beating Branch, Cannonier gains traction right away in his new division. There’s an all-new crop of competition for him on the horizon, and since he beat a notable in his first fight, he should get another one for his sophomore effort.

Cannonier has proven he can beat strikers – and now wrestlers. How would he fair against someone with high-level submissions, though? A matchup with Carlos Junior (10-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) would provide answers. Carlos Junior is on a five-fight winning streak and is a monster on the mat. He’s currently dealing with injury rehab, but once healthy, he’d be a major test for Cannonier.

Ronaldo Souza

Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa

Should fight: Winner of Yoel Romero vs. Paulo Costa
Why they should fight: Souza pulled off a massive victory for his career when he defeated former UFC champ Chris Weidman in a crucial matchup of middleweight contenders.

“Jacare” was promoted to the co-main event spot against Weidman when Rockhold fell off the card due to injury. He made the most of it with a third-round TKO victory that puts him toward the forefront for a 185-pound title shot, but the Brazilian is in a bit of a weird spot.

With current champ Whittaker (20-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) set to defend against Gastelum (15-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) next in the first quarter of 2019, Souza could have an argument to fight the winner. He’s suffered losses to both athletes somewhat recently, though, and unfortunately that hurts interest to see him a title fight.

If Souza can get one more big win he would be in an undeniable position. Doing that against the winner of the planned Romero (13-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) vs. Costa (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) fight in January would put his case over the top.

Daniel Cormier

Should fight: Brock Lesnar
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Cormier should fight Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) next for his second heavyweight title defense.

For complete coverage of UFC 230, check out the UFC Events section of the site.