UFC 271 wrapped up on Saturday night with the reaffirmation that Israel Adesanya is the best middleweight in the world. The champion beat beating a game Robert Whittaker by decision in their rematch atop the card. Meanwhile, Jared Cannonier emphatically stamped his place as the UFC middleweight championship title challenger by elbowing Derrick Brunson into another dimension. 

Those two appear to be on a collision course later this year while the man everyone is talking about, Tai Tuivasa, seems to have plenty of choices to consider for his next bout at heavyweight.

Some fights seem obvious and others are more complicated in the aftermath of UFC 271. Take a look below as we piece together what fights make sense for Adesanya, Cannonier and Tuivasa, as well as bounce back bouts for Whittaker, Brunson and Lewis.

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Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier

Placing a title eliminator fight on the main card of a championship headliner makes for simple and effective booking. Cannonier needed a memorable victory over Brunson to cement his spot as top contender and he did just that. Those elbows were nasty and add to a meaty portfolio of six UFC knockouts the promotion can use to build Cannonier as a threat for the champ. Adesanya fights are not always the most visually appealing, but “Stylebender” continues to build on his aura as the closest thing the division has to Anderson Silva. Robert Whittaker showed huge heart and improvement in the rematch, but Adesanya was the rightful winner. Both Adesanya and Cannonier called for the match-up in their post-fight interviews. Adesanya vs. Cannonier, book it Dana White.

Tai Tuivasa has options

Tuivasa made good on the biggest opportunity of his career, face-planting Derrick Lewis in front of the latter’s hometown fans. Tuivasa has personality for days and even won over a hostile Houston crowd. The shoey is a sublimely disgusting celebration that perfectly accompanies the spirit of MMA. Coming off five consecutive knockouts in the first two rounds, it’s time to cash in on all that “Bam Bam” offers. Here are some of the names that make sense.

Jon Jones: Hear me out. The obvious fight to make at heavyweight is champion Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones. Unfortunately, Ngannou’s ongoing disputes with UFC brass have put that dream fight on ice. Assuming Ngannou and the UFC don’t come to an agreement any time, if at all, then Tuivasa could slide in for a big-ticket fight against Jones. The only other options that make sense for Jones are potential fights with Ciryl Gane or Stipe Miocic, but Tuivasa may better capture a mainstream audience and certainly the Oceanic fanbase.

Francis Ngannou: While Ngannou and UFC are actively at odds, Jones regularly gets in his own way. Jones has not fought since vacating the UFC light heavyweight title in February 2020 and finds himself repeatedly in trouble with the law. If Ngannou and the UFC settle their contractual difference, Tuivasa is the only clear title challenger in the division. Come next week, he will be the only heavyweight in the promotion’s top 10 on a winning streak. Furthermore, the only people ahead of him — Gane and Miocic — are coming off losses to Ngannou. If Jones is out of the picture, Ngannou vs. Tuivasa is the fight to make.

Ciryl Gane: If Ngannou vs. Jones does happen, Tuivasa’s best bet is a match-up with the former interim champion. It’s not a supremely sexy fight, but you are matching up the clear top contenders in the division. Former heavyweight kingpin Miocic could be swapped in for either party, but who knows where he is at these days.

Other fights to make

Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori: Whittaker is in a tough place. He is clearly the second-best guy at middleweight, but he’s well out of the title picture with two losses to the champion. Vettori is stuck in a similar spot with repeated Ls against Adesanya. Both guys likely crush the division’s other contenders, doing no favors for matchmaking. The solution is to pair them while building Sean Strickland as the next contender.

Derek Brunson vs. Sean Strickland: Brunson said during UFC 271 fight week that he plans to fight once more before retiring. If UFC matchmakers believe Strickland can do to Brunson what he did to Jack Hermanson, it may be the best use of Brunson’s remaining juice. Paulo Costa is also in the mix.

Derrick Lewis vs. winner of Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall: Lewis should get matched up with the winner of this fight, which takes place on March 19. The fight offers something substantial to each participant: remedy for Lewis, retribution for Volkov and rocketing to title contention for Aspinall.