What's next for UFC 257 winners?
Another UFC event is in the books.
Dustin Poirier shocked Conor McGregor, a lightweight newcomer rose to contention, a women's flyweight contender returned to the win column, and a strawweight on the rise earned an impressive victory.
Here's what should come next for UFC 257's notable winners.
Dustin Poirier
Defeated: Conor McGregor via second-round TKO
Should fight: Charles Oliveira
Poirier will almost certainly fight for the lightweight title in his next bout. He's 7-1 (1 NC) in his last nine outings, and you can make the case he's the best lightweight in the world not named Khabib Nurmagomedov.
It simply comes down to his opponent. UFC president Dana White has expressed interest in booking a vacant title bout between Poirier and Michael Chandler if current champion Nurmagomedov officially relinquishes the belt, which is becoming increasingly likely. But the next title shot should go to Oliveira instead.
"Do Bronx" is coming off an impressive win over former interim champ Tony Ferguson, and he's won eight straight fights. In comparison, Chandler - a former Bellator titleholder - is only 1-0 in the UFC. His win over Dan Hooker was great, but it doesn't quite warrant a shot at the belt, especially when you have a red-hot contender like Oliveira waiting in the wings.
Michael Chandler
Defeated: Dan Hooker via first-round TKO
Should fight: Justin Gaethje
Chandler does deserve a big fight after destroying Hooker - the No. 6-ranked lightweight - in Saturday's co-main event. That should come in the form of a title eliminator against Gaethje.
When the official rankings are updated later this week, there won't be much of a gap between Chandler and the top of the division. If Poirier and Oliveira fight for the title, that would leave Gaethje and Chandler as the two other highest-ranked contenders coming off wins.
Not only would Gaethje-Chandler be a thrilling fight, but it makes a ton of sense and would have a huge impact on the immediate future of the 155-pound weight class.
Joanne Calderwood
Defeated: Jessica Eye via unanimous decision
Should fight: Viviane Araujo
Calderwood remained on the list of top flyweights with a bounce-back win over Eye. Now, a clash with Araujo makes sense to determine who's best fit to make a serious run in the division.
Araujo - ranked No. 9 at 125 pounds - is coming off a big victory over division staple Roxanne Modafferi last week. She's won two fights in a row since falling short to Eye in late 2019.
She and Calderwood both sit inside the top 10 of the division, but neither have had enough consistency to reach the top five. If they square off, we'll find out who's ready to move closer toward a title shot versus dominant champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Marina Rodriguez
Defeated: Amanda Ribas via first-round TKO
Should fight: Michelle Waterson
Rodriguez took the next step toward the top of the strawweight division after taking out red-hot prospect Ribas.
Next, the Brazilian should test herself against a veteran who's ranked just above her: No. 8 Waterson.
"The Karate Hottie" has been in the UFC since 2015 and is coming off a razor-thin win over Angela Hill last year. For her, a win over Rodriguez would prove she's still one of the top 115-pound fighters in the promotion and is ready to fight another top-five contender.
For Rodriguez, it would add a big name to her resume and cement her place among the elite.