5 Matches to Make After UFC 116

Like many of you, UFC 116 left me needing a smoke break and a cold shower.

Now that we’re removed from that epic night of fights, it’s time to start thinking about what’s next for some of the evening’s big winners and losers.

Shane Carwin vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

Regardless of his loss, Carwin did something that had come to be regarded as impossible: He got in Brock Lesnar’s face and gave him the big brother treatment.

Perhaps even more importantly, Carwin gained a massive following in the build-up to this fight and is officially a bankable commodity. Matching him against the equally uber-popular Filipovic would not only be money in the bank but also a true test of where these two stand in the division.

Faded as he may be, “Cro Cop” proved in his bout with Pat Barry that he still has a thing or two to teach these young bucks. Besides, there isn’t a fight fan alive who doesn’t want to see what would happen if Carwin’s grave-digging right hand met Filipovic’s legendary left high kick.

Chris Leben vs. Alan Belcher

Against all odds Leben and Belcher have transformed themselves into legitimate middleweight contenders. The other thing they have in common is a willingness to bite down on the mouthpiece and jump into the fray regardless of what abyss it leads into.

There really is no better usage for these two than to match them against each other and let them put on some major league violence. Better yet, the winner would be in perfect position to be slotted into a future title eliminator.

Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen

After three consecutive insomnia-curing wins in the UFC, it’s becoming clear that Madsen isn’t going to get much of a push in the increasingly dynamic heavyweight class. On the opposite end of that spectrum is Schaub, who has been flipping the light switch on his opponents lately.

If Schaub is going to keep doing that against UFC-caliber competition, he has to prove he can do it against tough, disciplined fighters like Madsen. It may not be the most exciting match on paper, but should Schaub ace this test, you’d be witnessing the coming-out party for the next member of the UFC’s monster heavyweight stable.

Gerald Harris vs. Michael Bisping

In fight sport you get what you earn, and Harris has earned a main card bout against a name fighter like Bisping. Stopping three of the best middleweight prospects in MMA all in a row is a nearly Sisyphean feat that Harris handled with aplomb. It would be an injustice if he doesn’t get a significant main card bout for the work he has put in thus far.

Pitting him against Bisping would be a fun style clash. Harris may not have the technique to out-box the slick Brit, but his heavy hands and explosive wrestling game make for the perfect counter.

Stick this fight on a card in England or make it the headliner of a Fight Night event and you’re guaranteed to walk away with a serious title contender.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kendall Grove

In all honesty, the first thing Akiyama should fight is a treadmill -- preferably for a few months, given the dreadful conditioning that has dogged his UFC run.

After he learns how to keep his blood oxygenated for three rounds, he then needs to prove that he deserves to be in the Octagon. It’s no secret that the UFC would love for Akiyama to lead their charge into the potentially lucrative Asian market, but they can’t bank on him to do that at this point in time.

That’s where Grove comes in -- a skilled and rugged gatekeeper with just enough flaws to keep him from being a total mismatch for Akiyama. Putting their Asian golden goose at risk yet again may be a bitter pill to swallow for the UFC, but rebuilding the Asian MMA market comes with a razor-thin margin for error that Akiyama needs to prove he can handle.