Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Francis Ngannou and UFC on ESPN 3's other key winners?

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Junior Dos Santos after UFC on ESPN 3 loss?)

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 Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC on ESPN 3’s most noteworthy winning fighters.

Those winners include Francis Ngannou (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who stopped Junior Dos Santos (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC) by first-round TKO in the main event at Target Center in Minneapolis, as well as Joseph Benavidez (28-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC), Demian Maia (27-9 MMA, 21-9 UFC), Alonzo Menifield (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Amanda Ribas (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

* * * *

Amanda Ribas

Should fight: Cortney Casey
Why they should fight: Ribas shined in her UFC debut when she overwhelmed Emily Whitmire in the grappling department for a second-round submission win. By looking at her performance, one would never know the Brazilian hasn’t fought in more than three years.

A U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspension has kept Ribas out for the majority of that layoff. Her punishment was cut short after a development in her case, and the 25-year-old tried to make up for lost time with an impressive victory over Whitmire, who came into the strawweight matchup with momentum.

The lack of sample size with Ribas makes it difficult to gauge how good she really is. She has some interesting tools, though, and it’s very possible she could be a player at 115 pounds. She shouldn’t jump to the top of the division by any means, but a notable name in Casey (8-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC), who has fought many of the division’s best, would be a good test of Ribas’ ability.

Alonzo Menifield

Should fight: Khalil Rountree
Why they should fight: The UFC light heavyweight division continues to fill up with new talent, and one of the names on the rise is Menifield, who added another win to his undefeated record when he knocked out Paul Craig in the first round of their matchup.

Menifield showed more evolution to his game with a disciplined performance that saw him reject Craig’s attempts to grapple and pick his shots until the knockout arrived. The American has yet to be pushed beyond the six-minute mark in any fight, and given his style, there’s potential for that trend to continue into the future.

There are a number of compelling matchups for Menifield as he tries to carve out a position in the upper tier of the 205-pound weight class. In terms of style, though, a showdown with Rountree (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) might be the most fascinating. Both men are powerful strikers, and putting them in the octagon together almost guarantees a highlight-reel finish.

Demian Maia

Should fight: Li Jingliang
Why they should fight: Maia showed he can still give the young bucks the business when he neutralized and outworked Anthony Rocco Martin for a majority decision to register his 21st UFC win, which is the second most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (23).

At 41, Maia has essentially accepted the fact his title contention days are over. He leaves the door open to it if he can go on a run, but at this point, he’s just trying to make the most of whatever time he has left in the sport, which is respectable.

If Maia can get one more win, he might see himself back in the conversation with a top-7 opponent at welterweight, but he needs to get another one done first, likely against a lesser-ranked foe on the rise.

Jingliang (16-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) has been trying to break through into the upper tier at 170 pounds for some time. He’s had to pull out of some fights that gave him that opportunity, but if the Chinese fighter can get healthy, he would present an interesting matchup for Maia, who said he’s looking to fight on a planned UFC card in his hometown of Sao Paulo in November.

Joseph Benavidez

Should fight: Henry Cejudo
Why they should fight: Benavidez solidified his case for a championship fight when he beat Jussier Formiga with strikes for a second time in a flyweight eliminator matchup.

The trickiness of the title situation at 125 pounds is obvious with champ Cejudo sidelined after surgery and not 100 percent firm on returning to the division for his next fight. Cejudo, of course, holds the bantamweight title as well, and it’s possible he could defend that belt first upon his return.

There’s a good argument that Benavidez is more deserving of a fight with Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) than anyone at 135 pounds. Benavidez has won nine of his past 10 fights, and one of those victories came over Cejudo, himself. The scenario for the rematch is perfect, and after his impressive finish of Formiga, it’s time for Benavidez to get his third crack at UFC gold.

Francis Ngannou

Should fight: Winner of Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic at UFC 241
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Ngannou should fight the winner of August’s UFC 241 title fight between Cormier (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) and Miocic (18-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC).

For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Events section of the site.