This past Saturday, the UFC returned to Brazil for UFC Fight Night 32, which saw MMA legend Vitor Belfort become the first man to knock out fellow legend Dan Henderson. This is impressive considering Henderson has been in there with some of the heaviest hitters in the fight game. The rest of the card also saw many exciting fights and finishes. After every fight card, fans always ask, what’s next for the winners? Here are some possibilities for the winners that were most impressive this last Saturday.

Dustin Ortiz

Ortiz made his UFC debut as a promising flyweight who had already faced top five ranked flyweight Ian McCall earlier in his career. He possessed a solid 11-2 record heading into his debut; his potential was evident before the fight even started. Nonetheless, his first opponent was against tough Brazilian Jose Maria Tome, who would have the advantage fighting in front of a home crowd. Ortiz showed that wasn’t a factor however, and bounced back from a rough first round to win by TKO late in the fight. Many fights are available for this young prospect in the future. A fight with Jussier Formiga seems fitting. Formiga was once considered the best flyweight in the world, but has only gone 1-2 since signing with the UFC. A fight with Ortiz would be beneficial for both me. If Ortiz wins, he solidifies himself as a legitimate title contender after beating one of his weight classes elite. If Formiga wins, he proves he still belongs at the top of the pack by getting back in the win column.

Jeremy Stephens

A former lightweight contender, Stephens hits HARD. And I don’t mean the kind of hard where he hits you and you get a little wobbly. I’m talking this guy hits you clean and you could wake up with a doctor’s flashlight in your face. His KO victories over veterans Rafael dos Anjos and Marcus Davis prove this. He always had wicked potential, but suffered a three fight losing streak from October of 2011 to December of 2012, with those losses coming from current lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, and tough fighters Donald Cerrone and Yves Edwards. Now, there’s no shame in losing to those men. But a change was necessary if Stephens wanted to get back to his winning ways. “Lil Heathen” found that change in the form of a new weight class (featherweight), and proved it was a change for the best by defeating Estevan Payan by decision in May. His next assignment came in the form of Ultimate fighter winner Rony Jason, who was then undefeated in the UFC. Stephens went into Brazil, behind enemy lines if you will, and walked away with another victory, this time in Lil’ Heathen fashion, by devastating head kick KO. The drop to featherweight has been great for Stephens’ career. Despite over 30 fights to his name, Jeremy is only 27. With youth, experience, and power, he is a serious title contender at featherweight. He should get a big opponent in his next fight such as Darren Elkins, who is an impressive 6-1 in his last seven and would make for a nice step up in competition for Stephens.

Brandon Thatch

And the hype train keeps on rolling. Brandon Thatch has generated a lot of hype since his UFC debut, but unlike some fighters who have a good start to their UFC careers then flop, Thatch has actually warranted his hype. He stopped Justin Edwards in his UFC debut, then made UFC vet Paulo Thiago tap due to strikes on Saturday. This guy is clearly no joke. The UFC could keep testing him against these “C” and “B” level fighters and Thatch would probably deliver the same results. He’s already got his footing and established himself in the UFC, now it’s time to throw him into the fire. He can keep running through lesser opponents, but one will not truly know his worth until he’s pitted against the best. A fight with former world champ Hector Lombard would be a good fight for him, or a fight with long time UFC fighter and elite welterweight Martin Kampmann.

Rafael Cavalcante

“Fejao” made his UFC debut as the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion of the world. Unfortunately for him, he also made his debut against UFC regular and dangerous striker Thiago Silva, and Cavalcante suffered a knockout loss. In his next bout that happened over this weekend, he faced another tough and hard hitting light heavyweight in Igor Pokrajac. If Cavalcante were to lose again, he might have lost his spot on the UFC roster. With the pressure on and his back against the wall, Cavalcante delivered. This time he earned the stoppage due to strikes. Cavalcante has many options for who’s next for him. A fight with fellow Brazilian banger Fabio Maldonado would be fun for the fans. Or, if Cavalcante wants to jump right into the title picture, he could face the loser of Rashad Evans/Chael Sonnen. Also, if the UFC feels he’s earned it, Fejao could take on Phil Davis despite the huge step up in competition.

Vitor Belfort

Despite possibly having the most impressive win on this list, there’s not much to say here about Belfort. He knocked out a guy that’s a legend in Dan Henderson in spectacular fashion. He’s won three fights in a row, all by head kick KO, over well-known and elite fighters. He wants the winner of the Anderson Silva/Chris Weidman rematch for the middleweight title that takes place in December. He looks better than ever and unstoppable right now. And finally, Vitor has earned the title shot. So that’s the fight to make: Belfort vs the winner of Silva/Weidman II. There’s no argument that he should take part in any other fight.

– Side Note: Dan Henderson

Even though he didn’t win, I still must talk about Dan Henderson. He’s old when it comes to athletes, specifically fighters. There’s no way around that point. No matter how good, or how legendary Dan Henderson is, he’s also 43 and he isn’t getting younger. With age, your speed decreases. Your power fades. Your reflexes aren’t what they used to be. And on top of that, injuries seem to come more frequently and your recovery time from those injuries seems to take longer with each passing year. So why would an aging fighter stick around in the sport? Well an ordinary fighter would probably quit, but Dan Henderson is no ordinary fighter. He is a former multiple title world champion, with wins over legends Rich Franklin, Wanderlei Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, and Shogun Rua, as well as a victory over Belfort in their first fight. His KO wins over Emelianenko, Silva and top middleweight Michael Bisping are still being replayed on YouTube to this day, and his fight with Shogun back in late 2011 is considered one of the greatest fights of all time. Yes, Dan Henderson may be on a three fight losing streak. Some fans request retirement from him. Others that should he sign with Bellator, he might fight lesser opponents and end his career with success. Well I think that is all a load of nonsense. Henderson’s last three losses have come to fellow legends and former champions. There is no shame in that. And because he was knocked out for the first time doesn’t mean he’s done as a fighter. Every human being can get knocked out, even if your chin is as good as Dan Henderson’s. Vitor Belfort can KO anyone, and on Saturday he simply landed clean enough and often enough to put Dan away. Dan’s expressed he still wants to fight, so I say let the man fight. As a legend of this sport he’s earned the right to have his wish granted, and to receive the opportunity to leave the sport on a win. He has many options too. A rematch with the aforementioned Rafael Cavalcante (a fight “Hendo” won, I’ll have you know) is a fight against a tough opponent Dan can take pride in fighting, but someone who’s a bit of a step down in competition so he’ll have the chance to get some momentum going in his career again. A fight with the also previously mentioned and always dangerous Thiago Silva would be a good match up. Or Dan could make the move back to middleweight and fight someone there if he so chooses. Finally, a rubber match with Wanderlei Silva is something fans have requested for a long time and seems fitting given the current state of both men’s careers. No matter what happens, it is apparent if Henderson wishes to stay in the sport, then stay in the sport he shall.

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