Matches to Make After UFC on ABC 7

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Abu Dhabi with a card filled with veteran fighters. The UFC on ABC 7 main event determined a possible number one contender at bantamweight as Umar Nurmagomedov put his undefeated record on the line against former title challenger Cory Sandhagen. There’s no doubt that the mixed martial arts world will be impacted by today’s results for months to come.

Here are five matches to make following UFC on ABC 7.

Umar Nurmagomedov vs. O'Malley-Dvalishvili Winner

Nurmagomedov (18-0) picked up the biggest win of his career by winning a clear decision over Sandhagen (17-5). With a famous last name and impressive performances that have made him a feared grappler, the Dagestani fighter will be able to skip the line. A fight against either Sean O’Malley or Merab Dvalishvili would be money as he will offer up a unique challenge for whoever walks out of UFC 306 as champion. Nurmagomedov should get ready to be a back-up fighter in case either fighter gets hurt as he’ll be wanting to prep for the winner anyhow.

Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Rodolfo Vieira

Magomedov passed his biggest test to date by outpointing Michal Oleksiejczuk in the co-main event. However, Magomedov (14-0) was in danger a few times due to some grappling deficencies. A fight against a better grappler would be quite interesting and I'd love to see the Russian go up against Vieira next. "The Black Belt Hunter" has submitted three of his last four opponents, with Armen Petrosyan and Cody Brundage being his latest victims. This would be a great way to see exactly where “Shara Bullet” is at as he continues to climb the middleweight rankings.

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Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Petr Yan

Former flyweight champion Figueiredo continued his bantamweight ascent by defeating former title challenger Marlon Vera. Figueiredo (24-3-1) showed that his power is just as dangerous at 135 as he knocked Vera (23-10-1) down. I believe the Brazilian is just a win away from a title shot and would love to see him go up against another former bantamweight champ in Yan. “No Mercy” is officially 2-3 in his last five but could've easily been 4-1 had two split decisions gone his way. Regardless, Yan is still an elite striker, and this would be a true dream match with the winner in a prime position to be a title challenger afterward.

Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin

In the most predictable outcome possible, Chiesa easily submitted Tony Ferguson with a rear-naked choke. Ferguson is hopefully off to retirement after eight consecutive UFC losses, so the win isn’t really a feather in the cap of Chiesa, who had lost three straight fights prior to this. “Maverick” showed he is still a skilled grappler and a fight against Griffin would be a good test to see how much more he has left in the tank. “Pain” has won two of his last three and most recently took a split decision nod over Jeremiah Wells.

Mackenzie Dern vs. Loma Lookboonmee

Dern got back into the win column against Lupita Godinez, being awarded a unanimous decision after 15 minutes of action. Now 2-2 in her last four, the strawweight has largely cemented herself as a top-level gatekeeper in the division as she’s better than most yet can’t crack the elite. Let’s put Dern (14-5) up against a surging Lookboonmee. The Thai fighter is 9-3 in MMA and has picked up three straight wins inside the Octagon. Whether or not she's hitting her stride will be determined against Dern, who would then be ready for another contender fight with an extra win.