Stephen Thompson earned his second straight UFC main event victory when he stopped Johny Hendricks by first-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 82 on Saturday.

Thompson (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) completely overwhelmed Hendricks (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in the FOX Sports 1-televised headliner at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas before he finished the former UFC welterweight champ with strikes for the biggest victory of his career.

The remainder of the main card wasn’t quite so memorable. Mike Pyle (27-11-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and Misha Cirkunov (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) kicked things off with wins inside the distance, but then Joseph Benavidez (24-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC), Ovince Saint Preux (19-7 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Roy Nelson (21-12 MMA, 8-8 UFC) were all forced to go three rounds to achieve victory.

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 and Sean Shelby’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC Fight Night 82’s winning fighters.

* * * *

Mike Pyle

Should fight: James Moontasri

Why they should fight: With a career that dates back to his November 1999 pro debut, Pyle might be best served to hang up his gloves after earning his 10th UFC victory. At 40, there’s little more to prove and going out on a high note would be a wise move.

His attitude post-fight didn’t indicate that will be the case, though, and if Pyle insists on trekking forward, there’s no shortage of mid-tier welterweights who would be hungry to add a win over a veteran like “Quicksand” to their resumes.

Moontasri (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is an up-and-comer who already has put a few solid wins together in the UFC, but is still looking for a breakout performance against a well-known opponent. Pyle’s experience and overall durability could make it a challenging fight, but Moontasri appears ready for the task.

Misha Cirkunov

Should fight: Ed Herman

Why they should fight: Canada’s Cirkunov improved to 2-0 in the UFC with a first-round submission of promotional newcomer Alex Nicholson. At 28, Cirkunov is one of few in the light heavyweight division with the potential for long-term success in the weight class.

How far can he go? That remains to be seen, and the fact the two opponents he’s defeated in the octagon are a combined 0-2 under the UFC banner makes it difficult to gauge his skill set.

Cirkunov’s feet are plenty wet in the UFC, and now it’s time to get to business. Herman (23-11 MMA, 10-7 UFC) knows what it’s like to fight and win in the UFC because he’s been doing it for a decade. The longtime middleweight moved up to 205 pounds earlier this year and the results were immediate. He picked up a TKO of Tim Boetsch and is on a new journey in a new division.

Herman would be the most experienced and established fighter Cirkunov has faced to date. “Short Fuse” doesn’t lose to scrubs, and his well-rounded ability would present the first true test of Cirkunov’s career.

Joseph Benavidez

Should fight: Wilson Reis

Why they should fight: Few fighters in UFC history have earned a five-fight winning streak that provided so little forward progress in a division. Benavidez defeated another talented and dangerous flyweight contender in Zach Makovsky, but as is the case after every win, his two losses to champ Demetrious Johnson keep his career in neutral.

Benavidez topped Makovsky by unanimous decision and tied Johnson’s record for most victories in divisional history at nine. Sadly, that doesn’t bring him any closer to a third chance to take the belt from “Mighty Mouse.”

Unless Johnson is dethroned or the UFC runs completely dry of options, Benavidez will likely continue to be positioned as the second best fighter in his weight class. He’ll be booked against potential contenders who will allow him to keep his spot in the title picture, but also carry huge risk of a major career setback.

Benavidez has said he’s mostly comfortable with the situation, so now it’s on to the next contender. By this point, Benavidez has taken out many of the best at 125 pounds, but Reis (20-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) isn’t one of them. The Brazilian beat a tough Dustin Ortiz at UFC on FOX 18 in January and is a fighter with the tools to give Benavidez a real challenge.

Ovince Saint Preux

Should fight: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Why they should fight: Following an utter beatdown at the hands of Glover Teixeira, Saint Preux got back on track against a struggling Rafael Cavalcante with a unanimous decision victory.

The loss to Teixeira exposed many of the flaws in Saint Preux’s game, but he should not be written off as an impact player in the light heavyweight division – not yet, anyway.

At 33, Saint Preux is in a race against time to get better and put a streak together that will force others to consider him a threat. Cavalcante was a solid building block, and Nogueira (21-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) would be an appropriate second step.

Nogueira’s most recent octagon appearance saw him drop a controversial split decision to Mauricio Rua at UFC 190 in August. Prior to that, he suffered a brutal knockout loss against Anthony Johnson. Despite his recent record not being impressive, Nogueira is still one of the most proven talents in the division and is only going to be steamrolled by a select group of his peers.

Saint Preux should get the chance to prove whether or not he fits into that group.

Roy Nelson

Should fight: Andrei Arlovski

Why they should fight: Nelson avoided the dreaded four-fight losing skid when he thwarted Jared Rosholt by unanimous decision in an ugly fight for his first victory in nearly two years.

“Big Country” is coming off a win for the first time in a while, and with some momentum on his side there’s no better time to finally book his rematch with Arlovski (25-11 MMA, 14-5 UFC).

The pair first fought under the now-defunct EliteXC banner in 2008, when Arlovski won by TKO after a questionable referee stand-up led to the finish. Nelson wants revenge, and after Arlovski temporarily dropped out of title contention with a loss to Stipe Miocic in January, there would be no better time to settle the score.

Stephen Thompson

Should fight: Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler

Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Thompson should fight for the UFC welterweight title next after his victory over Hendricks.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 82, check out the UFC Events section of the site.