After UFC Fight Night 93, theScore's Alexander K. Lee picks which matchups should be made for the evening's biggest winners.
Josh Barnett vs. Fabricio Werdum-Travis Browne winner
43 matches into Josh Barnett's MMA career, there are still plenty of fun matches for "The Warmaster."
Now that Barnett has a win over fellow heavyweight stalwart Andrei Arlovski, he's free to chase down another longtime contender: Fabricio Werdum. Much like with Arlovski, Barnett and Werdum have somehow co-existed in the combat sports realm for years without fighting one another.
Werdum faces Travis Browne at UFC 203 on Sept. 10. Should Werdum win, it would set up a dream match between two of the heavyweight division's most fearsome grapplers; should Browne win and move on to face Barnett, it would give Barnett the chance to avenge a 2013 KO loss.
Related: Barnett focused on one fight at a time, title shot always possible
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Ryan Bader
Here's one pairing that departing matchmaker Joe Silva won't have to mull over too much.
Top-5 light heavyweights Alexander Gustafsson and Ryan Bader both claimed victory on Saturday, with the Swede grinding out a win over Jan Blachowicz, and "Darth" demolishing Ilir Latifi with a crackling knee to the face.
Related: Gustafsson outwrestles Blachowicz for decision win at UFC Hamburg
It was an important comeback fight for Gustafsson, who has looked like a world beater in close decision losses against light heavyweight luminaries Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. The win was Gustafsson's first since March 8, 2014.
Both Bader and Gustafsson are on the outside looking in at the 205-pound title picture, so the most logical thing to do is have them fight until the upper echelon sorts itself out.
Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Sara McMann
Ashlee Evans-Smith authored one of the only finishes of the evening with a TKO win over undersized, but scrappy newcomer Veronica Macedo. The matchup came about after Evans-Smith's original opponent Germaine de Randamie bowed out with an injury, so it's reasonable to assume the UFC might run that one back once de Randamie is healthy.
However, a more intriguing matchup for Evans-Smith is one-time women's bantamweight title contender Sara McMann. The Olympic silver medalist would put Evans-Smith's wrestling skills to the test, with the winner significantly improving their standing in the division.
Rustam Khabilov vs. Jim Miller
Credit Rustam Khabilov for not being shy with his callouts after defeating Leandro Silva on Saturday, but the truth is that his decision win left a lot to be desired.
Related: Khabilov looking to get past visa issues, face top-10 competition
If Khabilov wants a name opponent who will both boost his ranking and push him to perform at his best, he could do a lot worse than Jim Miller. A veteran of 24 UFC bouts, Miller is exactly what Khabilov needs to see where he stands among the best at 155 pounds.
Should Khabilov top Miller for a fourth straight win, there will be no denying him an opponent in the top 10.
