5 fights to make for UFC 290 winners

The dust has finally settled after the historic UFC 290 pay-per-view at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where a night of thrilling MMA action culminated in featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski unifying the featherweight belts, one of the night's many highlights.

The recently concluded pay-per-view featured numerous high-profile matchups with huge implications in their respective divisions. The victors at UFC 290 will be eyeing bigger fights down the line, and we thought we'd make a few pitches to the matchmakers.

On that note, here are five fights to make for the biggest winners at UFC 290.

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#5. Bo Nickal vs. Gerald Meerschaert

Bo Nickal continues to impress with each passing appearance inside the octagon. At UFC 290, the collegiate wrestling standout delivered yet another strong statement of intent, knocking out Val Woodburn in under a minute to secure his second win in the promotion.

Bo Nickal desperately needs a step up in competition next time around. His wrestling pedigree alone is a daunting prospect, but with his striking improving at such a high rate, the middleweight division has a real problem on its hands.

Nickal needs to face some form of resistance in his next bout. It remains to be seen how he fares against a high-level grappler, so pitting him against submission ace and promotional veteran Gerald Meerschaert makes for an exciting matchup.

With 27 submissions under his belt, Meerschaert poses a real challenge to Nickal, who will have to be highly cautious in wrestling exchanges. If he picks up yet another quick finish, a top-15 contender should be next for the surging American.

Nickal vs. Meerschaert [Images via @nobickal1 & @the_gm3 on Instagram]

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#4. Dan Hooker vs. Renato Moicano

Dan Hooker showed that he still belongs among the lightweight elite at UFC 290, showing tremendous heart and grit to edge out American prospect Jalin Turner on points. Given how highly touted Turner is, Hooker's performance was admirable, especially considering he broke his hand in the second round.

The hand injury will likely sideline Dan Hooker for the foreseeable future, but when he returns, there are quite a few options on the table. Among those options is fellow ranked 155-pounder Renato Moicano, who is also recovering from an injury and will return later this year.

Moicano and Hooker, two former featherweights who have become fan favorites in the lightweight division, are both in their prime and will be looking to break into the division's top tier when they return. A fight between the two would be ideal for re-introducing them back into competition after their respective surgeries.

This fight is guaranteed to deliver the goods, and it's a no-brainer from the matchmakers' point of view.

Hooker vs. Moicano [Images via @danhangman & @renato_moicano_ufc on Instagram]

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#3. Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya – UFC middleweight title fight

Dricus du Plessis shocked the world at UFC 290, becoming the first man not named Israel Adesanya to defeat former champion Robert Whittaker at middleweight. The South African 185-pounder now looks set to fight for the belt later this year.

Dricus du Plessis didn't just finish Robert Whittaker; he won the entire fight. 'Stillknocks' finished the opening round dominantly before finding the TKO stoppage in the second, which blew the roof off the T-Mobile Arena.

Soon after the bout, middleweight king Israel Adesanya entered the cage to square off with du Plessis, where the animosity between the two reached a new level. Adesanya's disdain for his South African counterpart is palpable, which should only add to the excitement in the lead-up to their fight.

This matchup is pretty easy to deduce, and with the UFC returning to Sydney, Australia, later this year, Adesanya vs. du Plessis is the obvious headliner.

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#2. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval 2 – UFC flyweight title fight

Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja put on an absolute war in the co-headliner of UFC 290, going back and forth over five rounds, with Pantoja ultimately coming out on top.

With Alexandre Pantoja now 3-0 against Brandon Moreno, an immediate rematch shouldn't be next, despite how good the fight was. Alternatively, Brandon Royval, who weighed in as the backup for the recently concluded title fight, deserves the next title shot.

Notably, Pantoja and Royval have squared off previously, with 'The Cannibal' emerging victorious. With Askar Askarov's promotional exit and Deiveson Figueirdo's move to bantamweight, a Pantoja-Royval rematch is seemingly the only option.

Flyweights don't seem to get the attention their fights warrant, and this is yet another great clash of styles that will likely fly under the radar.

Pantoja vs. Royval 2 [Image via @BigMarcel24 on Twitter]

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#1. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Islam Makhachev 2 – UFC lightweight title fight

Alexander Volkanovski retained his perfect record at featherweight with his dominant showing against interim champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. 'The Great' is seen by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and rightfully so.

Alexander Volkanovski appears too much for any of his peers at featherweight. While a title defense against unbeaten 145-pounder Ilia Topuria is enticing, the fight everyone wants to see is his rematch with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

Volkanovski and Makhachev locked horns earlier this year in Perth, Australia, where the Aussie nearly pulled off a shocking upset. Ultimately, Makhachev eked out a decision win, but many believe 'The Great' deserved to have his hand raised on the night.

Makhachev is set to return at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi later this year. Volkanovski will have to enter enemy territory to become a two-division champion, and that's precisely the type of challenge he seeks out. Without a doubt, this is the fight to make atop the deepest division in the sport.