7 Fights to Make After UFC Fight Night Sacramento

UFC Fight Night Sacramento delivered one of the most entertaining cards of the summer, with 10 finishes across 13 fights and several fighters making major moves in their respective divisions.

Gregory Rodrigues put together the biggest win of his career against Anthony Hernandez, Vitor Petrino continued his heavyweight resurgence, and Reinier de Ridder reminded everyone why he was once considered one of MMA's fastest-rising contenders.

Now that the dust has settled, it's time to play matchmaker.

Gregory Rodrigues vs. Joe Pyfer

Gregory Rodrigues wants Dricus du Plessis. And honestly, it's hard to blame him.

"Robocop" put together the best performance of his UFC career against Anthony Hernandez, repeatedly damaging Hernandez's lead leg and showing that his cardio and takedown defense have taken a massive step forward. Rodrigues won a unanimous decision and extended his winning streak to four fights.

But there may be one more fight he needs before jumping into the deepest part of the middleweight division.

Enter Joe Pyfer. Pyfer hasn't fought since March, when he stopped former champion Israel Adesanya. He's already established himself as one of the division's most dangerous finishers, while Rodrigues just proved he can go 25 minutes with one of the UFC's toughest middleweights. This would be a classic striker-versus-striker matchup with serious title implications. Rodrigues wants Dricus, but let’s give him Pyfer first.

Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez vs. Israel Adesanya

This one is a little more ambitious.

Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez just suffered his second consecutive loss, dropping a unanimous decision to Gregory Rodrigues in the UFC Sacramento main event. It was a brutal five-round fight, but Hernandez showed plenty of heart after Rodrigues repeatedly damaged his legs with kicks. Both men earned Fight of the Night honors.

Hernandez's situation is interesting because this wasn't necessarily a performance that should send him tumbling down the middleweight ladder.

He fought through an injury, survived some serious damage and continued pushing forward until the final bell. But two losses in a row means he needs a rebound. Enter Israel Adesanya.

Adesanya is also coming off a loss to Joe Pyfer, and suddenly one of the most recognizable fighters in UFC history finds himself in a similar position — needing a win to prove he's still capable of competing with the division's best.

This would be a fascinating crossroads fight. Hernandez brings relentless pressure, wrestling and cardio.

Adesanya brings elite striking, experience and one of the greatest middleweight résumés in UFC history. The loser takes another serious step backward. The winner could immediately re-enter the middleweight conversation.

That's exactly what makes it worth booking.

Vitor Petrino vs. Valter Walker

Vitor Petrino is starting to look like a completely different fighter at heavyweight.

After struggling at light heavyweight, Petrino moved up and has now won four straight fights in the division. His latest victory came against Serghei Spivac, giving him his biggest UFC win yet and putting him firmly in the heavyweight conversation. Now it's time to give him another rising heavyweight.

Valter Walker makes too much sense. Walker has also been building momentum and previously called Petrino out after the Brazilian's win over Steven Asplund. Petrino's team accepted the challenge at the time, making this matchup one that has already had some heat behind it. Both men are knocking on the door of the heavyweight rankings. Let them settle it.

Reinier de Ridder vs. the winner of Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski

Reinier de Ridder needed this one.

After suffering consecutive losses, "The Dutch Knight" returned to light heavyweight and absolutely demolished Roman Dolidze in the first round. It was the perfect response.

De Ridder has already made it clear that he's interested in fighting some of the division's bigger names, including Khalil Rountree Jr. and Navajo Stirling. But jumping directly into the Top 10 feels premature. Instead, give him the winner of Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski at UFC 331.

That fight gives de Ridder another opportunity to prove his move to 205 pounds was the right decision while giving the winner of that matchup a recognizable opponent coming off a big win. One more victory and de Ridder could be right back in the title conversation.

MarQuel Mederos vs. Chris Padilla 2

Sometimes the matchmaking is obvious.

MarQuel Mederos just knocked out Mason Jones in the second round, extending his unbeaten streak and improving to 4-0-1 inside the UFC.

That one blemish? A draw against Chris Padilla.

And conveniently, Padilla also picked up a win at UFC Sacramento, submitting Nasrat Haqparast with just seconds remaining in the third round. So why not run it back?

The first fight ended without an answer. Now both men are coming off victories.

A rematch would settle unfinished business while giving the winner a chance to make a serious move up the lightweight ladder. Sometimes you don't need to overthink it. Book the rematch.

Carli Judice vs. Dione Barbosa

Carli Judice is quietly putting together one of the more impressive comeback runs in the UFC.

After losing her promotional debut, Judice has now won four straight, including a first-round TKO of Jeisla Chaves at UFC Sacramento. Now she needs another step up. Dione Barbosa fits perfectly.

Barbosa is coming off her second consecutive UFC victory and is also looking to establish herself as a legitimate contender at flyweight. Neither woman is quite ready for the division's Top 15, but both are close enough that the winner could start making that push.

It's a simple matchup with a clear reward: Win, and start looking toward the rankings. And if Judice keeps fighting like she did in Sacramento, she may not be waiting much longer.

Anthony Wint vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu

Anthony Wint's UFC debut couldn't have gone much better.

The former NFL player submitted Terrance Chatman with an arm-triangle choke in the first round, just 11 days after earning his UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series. Now comes the fun part.

Wint is still extremely raw, but the physical tools are obvious. He has the athletic background, size and explosiveness that make him an intriguing heavyweight prospect. So why not test him against another athletic heavyweight?

Kennedy Nzechukwu. Nzechukwu is coming off a knockout loss to Shamil Gaziev at UFC Sacramento, but he's been fighting at the highest level of the division for years. That experience would give Wint his first real test against an established UFC heavyweight.

If Wint wins, suddenly the UFC has a legitimate prospect on its hands. If Nzechukwu wins, he gets a chance to halt the momentum of one of the promotion's newest attractions.