Matches to Make After UFC Paris

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to France with a 13-fight mixed martial arts event with plenty of finishes. The UFC Paris main event saw middleweight contenders Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho clash for a potential title fight. The entertaining card also had notable fights in the lightweight, light heavyweight and welterweight divisions.

Here are five matches to make for the main card winners of UFC Paris.

Nassourdine Imavov vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Imavov (17-4) made the French crowd ecstatic by winning a clear-cut unanimous decision over Borralho. With the win, "The Sniper" has now won five fights in a row, including a brutal knockout over Israel Adesanya earlier this year. While he's only 29, there's no doubt that Imavov deserves the next shot at the middleweight championship. A title fight against Chimaev would be interesting since Imavov is a dangerous puncher and a well-rounded challenger. While “Borz” will be favored, it’s a fight that has to happen at some point and will serve as a proper test to kick off Chimaev’s reign.

Related » UFC Paris Round-by-Round Scoring

Benoit St. Denis vs. Dan Hooker

The "God of War" lived up to his nickname as St. Denis outclassed Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event. Unable to find any success, Ruffy gave up and tapped to a face crank in the second round. St. Denis (15-3, 1 NC) has now picked up back-to-back wins after deflating losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Carneiro. It’s time for another step up and going against another contender, such as Hooker. “The Hangman” is riding a three-fight win streak and holds wins over Mateusz Gamrot and Jalin Turner. The Australian has had trouble staying healthy, but I’d love to see Hooker (24-12) take on “BSD” next as it’d be an almost-guaranteed fight of the night.

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Bogdan Guskov

Bukauskas knocked out and retired Paul Craig with a brutal elbow. With the win "The Baltic Gladiator" advances to 19-6 as a pro. The 31-year-old is on a roll, having now notched four victories in a row. Bukauskas deserves a step up, which Guskov would be. "Czarevitch" is also on a four-fight win streak, as he's beaten Nikita Krylov, Billy Elekana, Ryan Spann and Zac Pauga inside the Octagon. Both men are in their early 30s, streaking, and are dangerous finishers. Let's see which fighter is more dangerous and is a real threat at light heavyweight going forward.

Mason Jones vs. Jordan Leavitt

After surviving an early scare from Bolaji Oki, lightweight Jones showed a lot of heart and vicious elbows in securing a comeback win. "The Dragon is now 17-2 as a pro and has put together six straight wins together, with his two most recent ones being inside the Octagon. The Welsh fighter would be a fun next fight for Leavitt, who is also one of the prospects to watch at 155. "The Monkey King" rebounded from his defeat to Chase Hooper with a slick ananconda choke submission win over Kurt Holobaugh. Leavitt (12-3) has become a fan-favorite, and whoever emerges victorious would certainly be a lightweight to keep an eye on.

Axel Sola vs. Charlie Radtke

Sola made a successful UFC debut and stayed undefeated by finishing Rhys McKee with punches. While the stoppage was controversial, Sola was on his way to a decision victory regardless. Now 11-0-1 as a pro, let's see the 27-year-old take on another more experienced fighter. Charles Radtke fits the bill, as “Chuck Buffalo” is 3-2 inside the Octagon. At 35, the upside of Radtke (10-5) is limited, so having the welterweight test a prospect like Sola is his best use.