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Fight Forecast: Matches to make after UFC Long Island

Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

After UFC on FOX 25, theScore's Alexander K. Lee picks which matchups should be made for the event's biggest winners.

Chris Weidman vs. Rockhold-Branch winner

By submitting Kelvin Gastelum in Saturday's main event, Weidman staved off a fourth consecutive loss that could have put his UFC career in jeopardy.

Recap: Weidman ends losing skid with 3rd-round submission of Gastelum

The win also put "The All-American" right back into title contention and he wasted no time calling out middleweight champion Michael Bisping after the fight. While Weidman certainly has the talent to reclaim gold, it would be premature to let him jump the line ahead of several other contenders.

Weidman was supposed to rematch rival Luke Rockhold last June until spinal surgery forced Weidman to withdraw. They have unfinished business, with Rockhold beating Weidman in their first meeting to take his UFC title before subsequently dropping it to Bisping.

Both men are champing at the bit for a crack at Bisping, but David Branch could be a wild card as he's been booked to face Rockhold in September. If Weidman can wait until the end of the year, some combination of these three middleweights would produce a worthy No. 1 contender.

Darren Elkins vs. Lamas-Knight winner

Elkins is all about the grind and after claiming a split decision win over Dennis Bermudez, he's now scrapped his way to five consecutive victories. The 33-year-old featherweight might not be charming fans with his grueling style, but he keeps knocking down whoever the UFC lines up for him.

He deserves a top-10 ranked opponent and that could come from a matchup at UFC 214 between high-octane brawler Jason Knight and perennial contender Ricardo Lamas. "The Bully" has hovered near the top of the 145-lb charts for years, while Knight's four-fight winning streak trails only Elkins and champion Max Holloway in the division.

Elkins is at his best when he's pushed to his limits and either Lamas or Knight would definitely do that.

Jimmie Rivera vs. Dominick Cruz

You can bet that Cruz would love to win the UFC bantamweight title back from Cody Garbrandt or defeat TJ Dillashaw again, depending on who is the champion after those two settle their business.

However, "The Dominator" has to realize it will be a while before those two fight given Garbrandt's injury problems. Having already missed a chunk of his prime due to knee issues, it would be nice to see Cruz accept the challenge that Rivera laid down after his impressive win against Thomas Almeida.

Recap: Rivera tops Almeida in entertaining tilt for 20th straight win

Rivera has now won an absurd 20 consecutive MMA bouts and has a flawless 5-0 record inside the Octagon. He has future world title contender written all over him and he can put a stamp on this current run with a victory over Cruz, considered by many to be the greatest fighter ever at 135 pounds.

Alex Oliveira vs. Neil Magny

For whatever reason, it seems like every guy at 170 pounds wants a piece of Magny. He was recently cleared to compete after spending most of 2017 sidelined with injuries, and Oliveira would make a good comeback fight for him.

"Cowboy" put on arguably his best UFC performance yet with a hellacious second-round KO of Ryan LaFlare, and with four straight wins under his belt, he's ready for a top-10 contender. At No. 6 in the official rankings, Magny fits the bill.

As for Magny, he can prove that his high standing is no fluke and show everyone that calling him out is a mistake if he can keep Oliveira from taking his spot.

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