Going forward, Cage Calculus will put out a list of matchups that make sense to make after the prior week’s slate of fights. These matchups will be based on the closeness of fighters’ CC Ratings and the realities of both the official UFC rankings and matchups that have already been made.

UFC Paris is in the books and it was a wild one! Now there are a number of top contenders looking for their next challenge, with eyes on a title shot in the distance. In particular, the top of the heavyweight division has more answers now, but also some more questions as well. Middleweight’s #1 contender held the line and will likely have to take on another up-and-comer before getting a third crack at gold.

So, without further ado, here are the fights we want to see after UFC Paris:

Ciryl Gane vs. Curtis Blaydes

Gane (#2 CC, #1 UFC) once again proved he’s a different kind of heavyweight. And he combined a good bit of power with his speed. This is a combination likewise exhibited by fellow contender Curtis Blaydes (#3 CC, #3 UFC). With questions swirling around a potential superfight between Jon Jones and either champion Francis Ngannou or former champ Stipe Miocic (#1 CC, #2 UFC), Gane could either fight the odd man out of those three men, or get a fascinating, high octane stylistic matchup against Blaydes while the dust settles. We prefer the latter, as Blaydes is the closest heavyweight to Gane in terms of CC Ratings.

Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov

Tuivasa’s (#8 CC, #4 UFC) stock didn’t drop much, given how well he acquitted himself as a huge underdog. He could still string together some more KOs and shoeys to get back in the title picture. Another man just outside the title picture is the tall Russian, Alexander Volkov (#4 CC, #8 UFC), who also lost to Gane last year. This fight would give clarity to both and would likely deliver a highlight reel KO.

Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa

Whittaker (#1 CC, #1 UFC) is clearly the next best guy behind the champion Israel Adesanya. And, in all honesty, I wanted to tee him up for the title shot in this post regardless. However, given the difficulty of earning a trilogy after losing the first two fights and the fact that Adesanya has not yet fought his next defense against Alex Pereira (NR CC, #4 UFC), he likely needs another win or two before he can get back to the title fight. Costa (#7 CC, #6 UFC) is a former title challenger himself and is coming off a statement win against former champ Luke Rockhold. It would be perfect for these two to combine their quests back to a title fight by trying to step over the other.

Marvin Vettori vs. Andre Muniz

Vettori (#10 CC, #3 UFC) put up a valiant effort but came up short against Whittaker, the clear cut #1 contender. After the loss, Vettori might have to fight down the ladder before trying to go up again. Muniz (#5 CC, #10 UFC) is a rising contender and has a dominant ground game that has baffled the division thus far. That fight would be a great test for Muniz and a good palette cleanser for Vettori if he is indeed primed to make another ascent towards a title fight.

Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen

Imavov (NR CC, #12 UFC) put together a fun bout with Joaquin Buckley en route to a unanimous decision win. After fighting outside the top 15, it seems the next step is to get a ranked opponent. However, the CC forecast still has Imavov outside of our top 15. He’s the 24th ranked middleweight according to our ratings. Allen (#11 CC, NR UFC) is the opposite. He’s outside the official UFC ranks, but #11 in our rankings. A bout between the two might settle some doubts about where each stands. Allen fights Kryszstof Jotko (#15 CC, NR UFC) in a few weeks time. With a win, Allen will have earned a shot at a ranked fighter like Imavov.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Phil Hawes

Both men sit comfortably outside the rankings, but have each delivered show-stopping KOs that have made them fan favorites (Buckley a little more so obviously). This fight would be fun and would get one of them on track to fight someone with a number next to their name at some point next year.

Other Fights We Want to See from the UFC Paris Card

• Nathaniel Wood vs. Lerone Murphy
• Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Gerald Meerschaert
• Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Jamie Mullarkey
• Stephanie Egger vs. Pannie Kianzad

Photo Credit: FlipBoard