Matches to Make After UFC Nashville

The Ultimate Fighting Championship made its return to Nashville with an action-packed card filled with 12 fights. The UFC Nashville main event featured a heavyweight clash featuring former title challenger Derrick Lewis and prospect Tallison Teixeira. The Fight Night card also featured beloved veterans such as Stephen Thompson and Calvin Kattar in key fights.

Here are matches to make for the top five winners of UFC Nashville.

Derrick Lewis vs. Shamil Gaziev

"The Black Beast" is still a problem. Despite being 40, Lewis (29-12, 1 NC) picked up yet another main event win in his decorated Octagon career by picking up a quick TKO over Teixeira. Lewis has now won three of his last four fights, which makes him a welcomed test for most of the (admittedly weak) division. A fight against Gaziev would make sense, as the Russian fighter is 3-1 inside the UFC. Gaziev (14-1) bounced back from a defeat to Jairzinho Rozenstruik with wins over Don'Tale Mayes and Thomas Petersen, so he’s ready for another step up. A win over Lewis would show that Gaziev has arrived, while Lewis can even earn an unexpected title shot with another impressive showing.

Gabriel Bonfim vs. Leon Edwards

Bonfim took a controversial split decision over Stephen Thompson, which left the Tennessee crowd booing. With the victory, the Brazilian advances to 18-1 as a pro. "Marretinha" has now put together three straight wins together, with Ange Loosa and Kalinn Williams also being outmatched. Just 27, I’d like to see him serve as a bounce back fight for Edwards. There’s been plenty of questions about if “Rocky” still has the competitive edge left in him after losing the welterweight title to Belal Muhammad and getting dominated by Sean Brady. Let’s see if the British fighter is still a contender by taking on Bonfim, which also gives the Brazilian a chance to get the best win of his career and a giant boost in relevance.

Steve Garcia vs. Arnold Allen

Garcia showed the world just how faded Calvin Kattar is as "Mean Machine" battered the former featherweight contender for 15 minutes. The 37-year-old "Boston Strangler" is likely headed to a well-earned retirement, but Garcia (18-5) is now on a six-fight win streak and deserves a major step up. I’d like to see the American fighter take on Allen next, as the British contender recently got back into the win column by winning a decision over Giga Chikadze. At 31, Allen is still a potential title challenger down the line and if he can put away a streaking Garcia then he’d be back in his groove after one-sided defeats to Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev.

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Morgan Charriere vs. Hyder Amil

Charriere picked up the biggest win of his career by knocking out Nate Landwehr in fantastic fashion with an onslaught of punches. Charriere (21-11-1) has now won two of his last three inside the Octagon, including a knockout of Gabriel Miranda. The featherweight is continuing to rise in the rankings, and I'd like to see him go up against Amil, who recently suffered his first loss to Jose Delgado. At 35, it's do-or-die time for "The Hurricane," who will need to show some adjustments in his game if he hopes to rise further in the UFC. tIf the 29-year-old French fighter can pass that test, then "The Last Pirate" will be one to pay attention to.

Vitor Petrino vs. Valter Walker

Petrino made a successful heavyweight debut by submitting Austen Lane with a rear-naked choke in under a round. It’s an impressive showing for the former light heavyweight and he’s immediately one to watch in the division. Now 12-2 as a pro, I'd like to see the 27-year-old test himself against another Brazilian heavyweight that won tonight -- Walker. The brother of Johnny Walker has now won three straight fights via heel hook and has an impressive 14-1 record overall. Both men are young heavyweights to watch, so let’s see who is ready to immediately be a contender and who needs a little more time to develop.