“UFC Fight Night 35: Rockhold vs. Philippou” is a thing of the past, however, some meaningful results came out of the organization’s fifth-ever trip to the state of Georgia.

Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was the shining performer of the evening, as he dispatched of Constantinos Philippou (12-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) with ease in the main event, proving he’s a legitimate contender in the UFC’s middleweight division.

It was a night where several 185-pound fighters made noise, as Brad Tavares (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) upset Lorenz Larkin (15-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) to extend his winning streak to five, and Yoel Romero (7-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) scored yet another come-from-behind knockout late in a fight he was losing.

The main card had more to offer than just middleweight matchups, though, as former flyweight title challenger John Moraga (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) got back on track, bantamweight contender T.J. Dillashaw (9-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) continued to show his evolution under the tutelage of Duane Ludwig, and featherweight veteran Cole Miller (21-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) joined the UFC’s exclusive 10-win club.

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next. And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Joe Silva’s (and Sean Shelby’s) shoes, and play UFC matchmaker.

COLE MILLER

Should fight: Conor McGregor

Why they should fight: Miller called for a fight with Donald Cerrone after he steamrolled Sam Sicilia (12-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 35 main card opener. Unfortunately, despite their storied rivalry, UFC President Dana White didn’t express much interest in the matchup.

The much more intriguing fight for Miller at this time would be opposite Conor McGregor (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who “Magrinho” requested a bout against after defeating Andy Ogle last year.

While fans of McGregor would like to see “The Notorious” come back from his ACL surgery to fight one of the many members of the UFC roster he has slandered in recent months, it would be foolish to book that type of fight. McGregor still needs to pass several tests before facing elite featherweights, and Miller, who is a 16-fight veteran of the organization and trains at American Top Team, represents the perfect test.

JOHN MORAGA

Should fight: Louis Smolka

Why they should fight: After an underwhelming showing in his bid to capture Demetrious Johnson’s UFC flyweight title, Moraga came back with another flat performance many even thought he should have lost.

The 29-year-old barely edged Dustin Ortiz (12-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) over 15-minutes to get back in the UFC win column, but more than anything his efforts raised concerns about whether or not the title fight against Johnson will be the pinnacle of his career.

An argument can be made Moraga was rushed into his UFC title fight too quickly, and after struggling badly against a fighter with one bout in the organization, perhaps Moraga isn’t the talent some thought he was.

The UFC flyweight division is growing with each event, but in many ways the weight class is still very limited in terms of new talent coming to the surface. There aren’t many fresh matchups that jump off the page, which means at this point it would likely make the most sense to pit Moraga against Smolka (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who made his octagon debut on the night’s preliminary card with a surprising upset of Alptekin Ozkilic.

While Moraga would be a major step up in competition for the 22-year-old Smolka, the young Hawaiian showed serious skills against Ozkilic. Moreover, he had by far the most impressive performance of the four flyweights to compete at UFC Fight Night 35. He may be young, but after seeing how he dealt with Ozkilic, it would be hard to say Smolka would be out of his depth against Moraga.

YOEL ROMERO

Should fight: Brad Tavares

Why they should fight: Romero is proving to be one of the most consistently violent fighters on the UFC roster. Each time he steps into the octagon, the former Olympian is determined to punish his opponent, and he did it once again, knocking out former Strikeforce standout Derek Brunson to push his UFC record to 3-0. All three of Romero’s UFC appearances have ended in cringle-worthy fashion, which is the perfect way to get noticed by fans and UFC executives.

Despite his Olympic wrestling credentials and raw power, Romero’s age of 36 seemed destined to restrict him to a career as a mid-tier fighter. Upon joining the UFC, though, Romero has really come into his own.

On the other side of the equation, Tavares has made a steady climb up the middleweight ladder, winning five fights in a row. Unfortunately, a finish has eluded the Hawaiian over the course of his winning streak, which has likely prevented him from getting the top-10 opponents he seeks.

One man’s winning streak would come to an end in this matchup of hard-hitting strikers, and the other would keep momentum rolling and be on the cusp of breaking through to the top of the division.

T.J. DILLASHAW

Should fight: Winner of Eddie Wineland vs. Yves Jabouin at UFC on FOX 10

Why they should fight: Right when the UFC bantamweight title picture had some clarity for the first time in years, Dominick Cruz tore his groin and was stripped of the title; opening the door for Urijah Faber to step in for a title shot against now-undisputed 135-pound titleholder Renan Barao.

What happens after Barao and Faber throw down for a second time on Feb. 1 at UFC 169? There is no obvious answer to that question.

With just one win separating Dillashaw and his most recent defeat, the Team Alpha Male product needs a stronger resume before being considered a title contender. That’s why the winner of next weekend’s UFC on FOX 10 scrap between Eddie Wineland (20-9-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Yves Jabouin (19-8 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is one “The Ultimate Fighter 14” finalist should keep an eye on.

The 135-pound weight class is wide open and thriving with opportunity like never before, and fighters like Dillashaw, Wineland and Jabouin are all on the verge of making major moves.

BRAD TAVARES

Should fight: Yoel Romero

Why they should fight: See above

LUKE ROCKHOLD

Should fight: Tim Boetsch

Why they should fight: Rockhold, like everyone else, requested a match with Michael Bisping after stopping Philippou for his first UFC win. But with Bisping and Tim Kennedy locked up in a notable feud, Rockhold may have to look elsewhere for his next dance partner.

Before suffering the knee injury that eventually led to his headlining status at UFC Fight Night 35, Rockhold was scheduled to face Tim Boetsch (17-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) last year at UFC 166. With Boetsch having defeated replacement opponent C.B. Dolloway at that event, rebooking the fight with Rockhold seems to be one of the few viable options for both parties.

Considering Anderson Silva’s championship reign is a thing of the past, the UFC middleweight division is more competitive than ever before with Chris Weidman at the helm.

Rockhold has high hopes of one day becoming UFC champion, but if he wants to get there, he’ll need to take out several contenders and put as much space between himself and the memory of his knockout to Belfort as possible. A win over Boetsch would be greatly beneficial to his cause.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 35, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Luke Rockhold)