4 Fights We Need to See After UFC on ESPN 57

4 Fights We Need to See After UFC on ESPN 570 of 4

Jared Cannonier and Nassourdine Imavov prepare to face off.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 57 card marked the promotion’s long-awaited return to Louisville, and by the time it was over, the stage was set for some big fights in the middleweight, light heavyweight and bantamweight divisions.

The show was headlined by a clash of middleweight contenders, with Nassourdine Imavov looking to take a big step up the rankings against the fourth-ranked Jared Cannonier.

Imavov succeeded on his mission with a fourth-round TKO, and while the referee’s stoppage was the subject of immediate debate, the win made the Frenchman one of the top contenders in the weight class.

In the penultimate bout of the night, former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes aimed to correct a four-fight skid opposite former kickboxer Dustin Jacoby.

Despite being widely counted out, Reyes won in style with a first-round knockout that almost certainly saved his spot on the UFC roster.

Earlier on the bill, 19-year-old bantamweight prospect Raul Rosas Jr. took another big step toward the rankings with a second-round submission of Ricky Turcios, while rising middleweight Brunno Ferreira also made a splash with a highlight-reel knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus in the first round.

Keep scrolling for the fights we’d like to see next for Imavov, Reyes, Rosas and Ferreira.

Nassourdine Imavov vs. Sean Strickland II1 of 4

Nassourdine Imavov strikes Jared Cannonier.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

As questionable as Imavov’s fourth-round stoppage of Cannonier was, it will completely change his fortune in the middleweight division.

When the rankings are updated this week, he will almost certainly land in the division’s top five, from which point he’ll likely be no more than a win away from a title shot.

Given the circumstances of Imavov’s win in Louisville, there is an argument for a sequel with Cannonier, but if the Frenchman gets his way, it will be a fight with former champion Sean Strickland in Paris next.

“My goal is the belt, so I’d like to fight Sean Strickland in Paris,” he said in his post-fight interview. “Sean Strickland, if you want to do it, come to Paris and we’re going to fight together.”

Imavov has met Strickland once before, suffering a unanimous-decision loss in a short-notice bout early last year. That outcome might discourage the American from accepting a rematch, but the former champion isn’t in a position to be calling his shots right now.

After losing his belt to Dricus Du Plessis in January, he looked to get back on track against Paulo Costa at UFC 302 earlier this month. While he won that fight by decision, it was an absolutely stinker, contrary to his many promises that it would be a thrilling war. It did almost nothing to strengthen his claim to a title shot.

Since his win over Costa, Strickland has stated he intends to wait for a crack at the belt, but with the likes of Israel Adesanya, and the winner of an upcoming fight between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev most likely ahead of him in the queue, he will probably be waiting some time.

He will most likely need to take another fight in the meantime, and will surely realize this before too long. If that’s the way it happens, Imavov seems like the right opponent.

Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith2 of 4

Dominick Reyes knocks out Dustin Jacoby.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Had Reyes lost to Jacoby in the weekend’s co-headliner, he probably would have been sent packing by the UFC. Thankfully for the former title challenger and his fans, he corrected his course in vintage fashion, knocking out his foe with punches in Round 1.

With four losses still visible in the rearview, Reyes still has a lot of work to do before he gets back into title contention, but the win over Jacoby was proof that he is still a dangerous light heavyweight, and it should set him up for a fight with a ranked opponent next time out.

Our pick for his next opponent is Anthony Smith.

Smith, also a former title challenger, was recently in a similar spot to Reyes, with a string a tough losses behind him. However, much like Reyes, he rebounded in his last fight, submitting the highly regarded Vitor Petrino inside a round.

Smith is a bit ahead of Reyes in the light heavyweight pecking order, currently ranked No. 10. However, he has already fought many of the contenders ranked above him, and has yet to meet Reyes in the Octagon, despite the fact that they’ve both been ranked for years.

This one makes a kot if sense, and it will tell us a lot about which of these two former title challengers has more left in the tank.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Brad Katona3 of 4

Raul Rosas Jr. reacts after his victory against Ricky TurciosJeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

19-year-old bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. is one of the hottest prospects in the UFC right now, and he further justified that reputation in Louisville with a submission of Ricky Turcios. It was his second win in a row, and helped separate him from a hype-deflating decision loss to Christian Rodriguez.

Rosas has a ton of options after his Louisville win, and could conceivably be fast tracked given his popularity among fans.

Our pick for his next fight is former Ultimate Fighter winner Brad Katona.

The Canadian, who trains alongside Conor McGregor at SBG Ireland, was also in action in Louisville, defeating Jesse Butler by unanimous decision on the undercard.

Currently on his second stint with the UFC, he’s much more experienced than Rosas, but has never been a serious contender, and looks like a suitable step up for the 19-year-old.

If Rosas did win this one, he’d probably be only be a win or two away from a fight with a ranked opponent. He could easily make it happen before he’s old enough to order a drink in the U.S.

Brunno Ferreira vs. Pyfer-Barriault winner4 of 4

Brunno Ferreira knocks out Dustin StoltzfusJeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Bruno Ferreira’s spinning back elbow KO of Dustin Stoltzfus in Louisville was only the eighth such finish in UFC history. It was also his ninth knockout in 11 victories, and his seventh in the first round. Suffice it to say he is extremely dangerous, and having won two straight, he’s now got some momentum on his side.

Our pick for his next opponent is the winner of a UFC 303 fight between Joe Pyfer and Marc-Andre Barriault.

Pyfer, a knockout artist cut from the same cloth as Ferreira, started this year with a ton of hype behind him, but he had his momentum stopped by a decision loss to Jack Hermansson in his first UFC main event.

Barriault, meanwhile, is a solid finisher himself, with durability to boot, but recently lost a decision to Chris Curtis in one of the toughest tests of his UFC career to date.

Whoever wins their UFC 303 fight would be a perfect test for the rising Ferreira, and either matchup looks like a sure-fire thriller on paper. In fact, it’s hard to imagine either fight going the distance—let alone leaving the first round.