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UFC 314 is in the books, and as most fans were hoping, the event was epic. Miami, Florida was treated to some great fights and great performances, too.
So after UFC 314: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, what's next for the big winners and losers?
Some fighters can absolutely expect big steps up, while others will be looking to rebuild themselves. With that in mind, here are five fights to make after UFC 314.
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#5. UFC light-heavyweight bout: Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka
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The resurgent Dominick Reyes was one of last night's big winners. 'The Devastator' moved his current win streak to three by knocking out fellow veteran Nikita Krylov in the first round.
Given that he was close to seeing his UFC career end when he lost to Ryan Spann in 2022, it's been a dramatic turnaround for Reyes, who came close to holding the light-heavyweight title in 2020.
With his veteran status and lengthy tenure meaning the promotion shouldn't need to protect him, then, a good match for him next could be former champ Jiri Prochazka.
The two men faced off back in 2021, with 'BJP' winning via KO, and Reyes would no doubt love to avenge that defeat.
With Prochazka also looking for another impressive win to move back into the title picture, this could be the perfect fight for both men right now. A win for either would elevate them into at worst, a title elimination bout. It'd also make for an excellent Fight Night headliner.
#4. UFC featherweight bout: Jean Silva vs. Arnold Allen
Surging featherweight prospect Jean Silva proved why it's time for the UFC to give him a step up last night. 'Lord' ran through the No.13-ranked Bryce Mitchell in violent fashion, dispatching him with a ninja choke in the second round.
Silva is now 5-0 in the octagon with five finishes, and dismantled 'Thug Nasty' so easily that there's no point slow-playing the Brazilian. It's time to see if he can move into title contention.
The promotion could match him with fellow high-flyer Lerone Murphy, who beat Josh Emmett earlier this month and is ranked at No.8.
However, they may prefer to keep two unbeaten prospects apart, and so a better option could be another UK native in No.7 Arnold Allen.
'Almighty' last fought in July, outpointing Giga Chikadze, and his technical style could test the more brutal methods of Silva.
If Silva could beat Allen, then the top five would definitely beckon, making the UK native the perfect foe for the red-hot Brazilian.
#3. UFC featherweight bout: Yair Rodriguez vs. Diego Lopes
Yair Rodriguez looked back to his best last night, and he did well to spoil the UFC debut of Bellator legend Patricio Pitbull.
After the bout, 'El Pantera' was quick to call for a featherweight title shot, but whether he did enough to warrant that is a fair question. After all, he only lost to Volkanovski in 2023, and his last win before last night came over two years ago.
More to the point, while he did beat Pitbull comprehensively, he didn't produce the kind of flashy finish that he's become known for over the years, meaning his win was almost lost in the shuffle so to speak.
The Mexican may need to wait, then, meaning the best fight for him would undoubtedly be against Diego Lopes.
Lopes lost to Volkanovski in last night's headliner, but is still ranked above Rodriguez at No.3. He also put up a better fight against the Aussie than 'El Pantera' did, lasting all five rounds and even scoring a knockdown.
More importantly, Rodriguez and Lopes began a pretty heated rivalry prior to this weekend's event, seemingly based around a larger issue between their two training camps.
With the UFC set to head back to Mexico in September, this grudge match could prove to be the perfect headliner or co-headliner for the card. The matchmakers should look to put it together as soon as they can.
#2. UFC lightweight bout: Paddy Pimblett vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Faced with the toughest test of his career in the form of Michael Chandler, it's safe to say that Paddy Pimblett delivered the goods, big time.
'The Baddy' utterly dominated 'Iron' in their co-headline bout, eventually dispatching him via TKO in the third round.
Pimblett landed the better shots standing, busted Chandler up with a flying knee, completely outgrappled him, and finally battered him into a stoppage.
Whether this version of Chandler is as good as the one who debuted in the UFC back in 2021 is debatable, but it doesn't matter: Pimblett has now proven himself as an elite-level lightweight.
So what should be next for the Liverpool-based fighter? With Justin Gaethje reportedly getting the next shot at champ Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier likely meeting Max Holloway, there are only two options: either Charles Oliveira or Arman Tsarukyan.
Of the two, Tsarukyan makes the most sense. Not only has he entered into a mild war of words with 'The Baddy', but the winner would provide a fresh challenge for Makhachev, something that unfortunately cannot be said for Oliveira.
Is it fair to leave 'Do Bronx' out in the cold? Arguably not, but it's the job of the UFC to produce the best fights, and Makhachev vs. Pimblett or Tsarukyan would be better than a Makhachev vs. Oliveira rematch.
Therefore, if the promotion visits the UK again before the end of 2025, Pimblett vs. Tsarukyan would be the perfect headline bout.
#1. UFC featherweight title: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev
Despite the best efforts of Diego Lopes, Alexander Volkanovski ended UFC 314 back on top in the featherweight division.
'The Great' was fighting for the first time since losing his 145-pound title to Ilia Topuria just over a year ago, but looked back to his best in Miami. His ramrod jab led to a pretty clear-cut win over Lopes, kickstarting his second reign as champion.
So who should his first defense come against? With old foes like Max Holloway and Brian Ortega now out of the picture, the best bet could be No.4-ranked Movsar Evloev.
The Russian is unbeaten, not just in the octagon, but in MMA overall at 19-0. While he's not the most exciting fighter, he holds wins over Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, Dan Ige and Lopes.
While it's debatable whether he'd have much for Volkanovski, it's hard to deny that Evloev has earned his shot at this point. Therefore, despite his not-so-marketable reputation, the matchmakers should put this fight together as soon as both men are ready.
