5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues

Last night saw the UFC produce another Fight Night event. Taking place at the Las Vegas APEX, the card was largely entertaining.

So what's next for the stars of UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues?

None of the fighters on offer last night will go onto a title fight, but there's definitely a chance that some will crack the top ten in their division, moving them onto big bouts.

Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues.

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#5. UFC middleweight bout: Andre Petroski vs. Bo Nickal

While it wasn't one of last night's flashiest bouts, Andre Petroski still looked good in his win over Rodolfo Vieira. Usually known as a grappler, Petroski instead recognized the talents of his foe on the mat and shut him down with his stand-up game - primarily his low kicks - instead.

Since his win, Petroski has made no secret of who he wants to fight next, calling out blue chip prospect Bo Nickal.

Despite Nickal's attempts to brush off the challenge, it's a fight that does make some sense.

Nickal did not exactly look hot in his most recent win over Paul Craig, suggesting that he shouldn't take another huge step up. While Petroski is not a top-10 fighter, then, his solid grappling and - as we saw last night - good striking skills would definitely test 'The Allen Assassin'.

Sure, it'd be a shock to see Petroski be the man to take Nickal's unbeaten record away from him, but after winning three fights in a row, he's definitely earned an opportunity to try.

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#4. UFC heavyweight bout: Valter Walker vs. Tai Tuivasa

The UFC's heavyweight division is probably the thinnest that the promotion has to offer right now. Therefore, thanks to his win over No.15 ranked Don'Tale Mayes via heel hook last night, Valter Walker probably deserves to fight a ranked foe next.

While it seems bizarre, then, a good foe for him could be Tai Tuivasa.

'Bam Bam' is still ranked at No.10 in the division despite the fact that he's lost five bouts in a row and hasn't actually won since 2022. Realistically, in any other weight class, the charismatic Aussie would've been cut.

However, this is heavyweight, and all it would take for Tuivasa to be relevant again would be a big knockout win.

Walker would definitely give him the openings for that - 'The Clean Monster' is as wild as his brother Johnny. However, based on what we've seen so far, there's also a chance he'd find a way to win and crash into the top ten based on it.

Overall, Tuivasa would be a step up for Walker, but based on the recent form of both men, it's probably a step he's ready to take.

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#3. UFC middleweight bout: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Bruno Silva

Edmen Shahbazyan definitely produced one of last night's best showings. He dispatched Dylan Budka with some serious violence in the first round, never letting his foe out of first gear.

While it'd be easy to proclaim that 'The Golden Boy' is back after this win, the truth is that Budka was probably an overmatched foe. Realistically, though, he's also the type of opponent that Shahbazyan should be fighting right now.

'The Golden Boy' was simply shoved up the ladder too quickly, harming his own potential in the process. At the age of 27, though, his best years are probably still ahead of him. Therefore, it's important to match him carefully to get the best out of him this time around.

With that in mind, a solid opponent for him could be Bruno Silva. 'Blindado' started his UFC career well, winning three in a row, but he's since slumped and has now lost five of his last six bouts.

While some fans might think that makes him an unsuitable foe for someone coming off a flashy win like Shahbazyan, the truth is that it actually makes sense.

'The Golden Boy' has enough talent to warrant a helping hand in rebuilding his career, and - no offense - Silva would represent a very beatable opponent. Therefore, the matchmakers should genuinely consider it.

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#2. UFC featherweight bout: Youssef Zalal vs. Bryce Mitchell

While his victory perhaps owed as much to Calvin Kattar's career slump as it did his own improvements, Youssef Zalal definitely picked up the biggest win of his career last night.

He clearly outpointed 'The Boston Finisher', and should now find himself entrenched in the top fifteen of the UFC's featherweight division.

What's next for 'The Moroccan Devil', then? One good foe for him could be the controversial Bryce Mitchell, who recently came under fire for some ill-advised comments that were even condemned by Dana White.

Mitchell might be a villain to many people now, but he's still ranked at No.13 in the division and is a very dangerous grappler.

If Zalal could find a way to knock 'Thug Nasty' off, then, not only would he cement himself as one of the best featherweights in the world, but he'd also earn himself plenty of new fans, too.

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#1. UFC middleweight bout: Jared Cannonier vs. Anthony Hernandez or Brendan Allen

While Jared Cannonier proved that he's still a very viable contender at middleweight thanks to a thrilling win over Gregory Rodrigues, the UFC may find his next booking tricky.

That's because 'The Killa Gorilla' has already fought so many of the promotion's ranked middleweights before, meaning bouts with everyone from Sean Strickland to Israel Adesanya would be a little pointless.

However, one fight that could be intriguing would see him go up against the winner of the upcoming Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez fight.

The winner of that bout - which goes down next weekend - would have absolutely earned a big step up in competition, and Cannonier would definitely represent that.

Based on last night, too, 'The Killa Gorilla' would also stand a solid chance of toppling either 'All In' or 'Fluffy', and the potential bout could even act as a good headliner for a future Fight Night event.