Joe Silva’s Shoes: Who Should Be Next For The UFC on FX 3 Winners?

“UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall” is in the books and the main card of the event produced a number of memorable finishes. Demetrious Johnson defeated Ian McCall via unanimous decision their main event bout to earn a chance to compete for the UFC flyweight championship. Also on the main card, Erick Silva, Mike Pyle and Eddie Wineland picked up impressive victory over their respective opponents.

After every fight card, fans wonder who the winners will be matched up with next. With another night of UFC action in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look forward and put ourselves in Joe Silva’s shoes to play UFC matchmaker.

Winner: Eddie Wineland
Who He Should Fight Next: Brad Pickett
Why They Should Fight: With most top-10 UFC bantamweights either booked for fights or injured, pitting Eddie Wineland and Brad Pickett (who defeated Damacio Page at UFC on FUEL TV 2) against one another seems like a logical decision. Both are well rounded, however they prefer to strike and always produce exciting fights. The only holdup to making this match is the fact Wineland sustained a gargantuan cut on his forehead in his winning effort against Scott Jorgensen at UFC on FX 3, but if Pickett is willing to wait for Wineland to heal up, a fight between the two bantamweight contenders has “Fight of the Night” written all over.

Winner: Mike Pyle
Who He Should Fight Next: Mike Pierce
Why They Should Fight: A battle of the Mike’s. Pyle and Pierce both earned key victories against tough opponents at UFC on FX 3. Both fighters have a knack for making opponents fight out of their comfort zone and it should be interesting to see which man could best implement their strengths when matched up against one another. Pyle has struggled in the UFC against opponents who are able to stifle his offense and Pierce is notorious for grinding out his opposition until the final bell. The winner of this fight creeps very close to a top-10 ranking in the UFC welterweight division.

Winner: Erick Silva
Who He Should Fight Next: John Hathaway
Why They Should Fight: While normal logic points to avoiding matching up two talented prospects against one another, Erick Silva vs. John Hathaway is a fight that would really test both athletes. Hathaway is one of the biggest welterweights on the UFC roster and possesses solid offense skills along with sound defense. “The Hitman” would present an interesting challenge to Erick Silva, a Brazilian striking specialist who is quickly making a name for himself as a fighter that blows through opposition with relative ease. One man would suffer a temporary setback in their young career while the winner would prove ready upper echelon of the welterweight division. The match up between Silva and Hathaway would be no pushover for either fighter, and it would be fascinating to see if Silva could continue his surge up the rankings against the very tough Brit.

Winner: Demetrious Johnson
Who He Should Fight Next: Joseph Benavidez
Why They Should Fight: It may have taken a few months longer than Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson and the UFC brass had hoped for, but the UFC flyweight tournament final is set as Benavidez and Johnson are set to compete for the inaugural UFC flyweight championship in late 2012. Benavidez earned his place in the championship bout with a second round knockout of Yasuhiro Urushitani last March, while Johnson secured his spot opposite Benavidez with a unanimous decision victory over Ian McCall at UFC on FX 3. It should be a spectacular fight between the world’s top two 125 pound fighters, however, only one man can walk away with the belt and own the distinction of first flyweight champion in UFC history.

Mike Bohn, founder and lead writer of FightCove.com, wrote this article. You can follow Mike on Twitter at @FightCoveMike. Also, follow @FightCove on Twitter and “Like” Fight Cove on Facebook.