UFC on Fox 15: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers

At UFC on Fox 15, Luke Rockhold made a strong argument that he should be next in line for a shot at the middleweight championship.

Facing Lyoto Machida, who gave 185-pound titleholder Chris Weidman one of his toughest bouts, Rockhold was dominant. After spending most of the first round on top, Rockhold was able to lock up a rear-naked choke midway through the second stanza to claim a fourth straight victory.

In December, Machida rebounded from his loss to Weidman by knocking out CB Dollaway. An impressive win over Rockhold could have potentially set Machida up for a rematch with the middleweight champion, but The Dragon fell flat Saturday.

With this pivotal 185-pound main event now in the rearview mirror, here is a look at what should be next for Rockhold, Machida and the rest of the UFC on Fox 15 competitors.

Prelim Winners

Prelim Losers

Matchup: Angela Magana

Following a win over Lisa Ellis in her UFC debut, Felice Herrig had an opportunity to emerge from her UFC on Fox 15 bout with Paige VanZant as a top contender in the strawweight division.

As it turned out, Herrig spent way too much time underneath VanZant on Saturday. She allowed two takedowns and spent more than eight minutes in the bottom position. Controlled by VanZant for more than half the bout, Herrig fell on all three scorecards.

Video: UFC on FOX 15 media day staredown between Paige VanZant and Felice Herrig http://t.co/eU0ya9BLEy pic.twitter.com/Yquw2Xm58f

— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) April 16, 2015

It's back to the drawing board for Herrig, but the 115-pound division is still developing, so she could be back in the title hunt quickly. A bout with Angela Magana would give Herrig a good chance to get back into the win column.

Matchup: Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Yeah, it might be too much too soon, but VanZant is already as deserving of a title shot as any other strawweight contender.

Paige VanZant proves the hype is real, punishes Felice Herrig for 2nd UFC win http://t.co/ahj7DrAMQN #UFCNewJersey pic.twitter.com/RKo2pkl6dh

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 19, 2015

With her win over Herrig, VanZant silenced doubters and proved she's a legitimate title threat. While there may be a handful of fighters still ranked above her, VanZant and champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk are now the only strawweights with multiple wins inside the Octagon.

Is giving VanZant a title shot right now ideal? No, but she's already one of the 115-pound division's biggest stars, and there also aren't really any clear title shot eliminators coming up.

VanZant is only 21 years old. At worst, a clash with Jedrzejczyk now would give her a valuable learning esperience that she'd have plenty of time to bounce back from.

Matchup: Cole Miller

Only 10 months ago, Cub Swanson had won six in a row and was near the front of the line for a shot at the featherweight championship.

However, Swanson saw his streak come to an end against Frankie Edgar and now has a different streak going. At UFC on Fox 15, Swanson was outclassed by Max Holloway before getting trapped in a guillotine choke during the third round.

UFC on FOX 15 medical suspensions: Cub Swanson out indefinitely with broken jaw, broken hand (@shaunalshatti) http://t.co/2scEHLPUXf

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) April 20, 2015

Now with two losses in a row, Swanson should see a big step down in competition. A bout with Cole Miller, who is also coming off of a loss to Holloway, would be logical.

Matchup: Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira Winner

Since losing to Conor McGregor in August 2013, Holloway has been on an impressive roll.

On Saturday, Holloway reached a new high with a submission win over Swanson. With a win over a Top Five featherweight, Holloway should be competing against ranked opponents moving forward.

‘Blessed,’ maybe, but Max Holloway is certainly legit (@ChuckMindenhall) http://t.co/A2L58KR9Ii pic.twitter.com/m9SVGMH9bk

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) April 19, 2015

With a number of 145-pounders nearing a title shot, Holloway may need to pick up another win before getting another matchup with a Top Five adversary. However, he won't have to step far outside the Top Five if paired with the winner of a May bout between Nik Lentz and Charles Oliveira.

Matchup: Andrew Craig

After four straight losses, Chris Camozzi was released by the UFC in September. However, he recorded two straight wins outside the Octagon to earn his way back onto the UFC roster as a replacement opponent against Ronaldo Souza. 

The bout was a rematch of a contest Camozzi had lost in May 2013. This time around, Camozzi was stopped even more quickly, suffering another submission loss to Souza during the opening round. 

Man @ChrisCamozzi has guts, much respect

— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) April 19, 2015

Camozzi's loss Saturday was to be expected, but it provided him with a foot back into the UFC door. A more manageable matchup against Andrew Craig, who has lost two in a row, should be next.

Matchup: Thales Leites

Souza had an easy payday at UFC on Fox 15, but a Yoel Romero injury prevented him from making an argument that he should be next in line for a shot at the middleweight belt.

Instead, Souza was paired with Camozzi, an opponent he had already dominated. Jacare again took it to Camozzi, but he lost ground to fellow rising contender Rockhold despite the win.

-1375. -1375. Ronaldo Souza is currently a -1375 favorite against Chris Camozzi. I wish I had a joke to make here, but just, my God...

— CagePotato.com (@cagepotatomma) April 15, 2015

No matter who he is matched up with, Souza's next bout should have a title shot up for grabs. He could wait until Romero heals up, or a resurgent Thales Leites could end up being the last hurdle between Souza and a shot at the 185-pound championship.

Matchup: Tim Kennedy

Following a competitive loss to Weidman, Machida bounced back with a knockout win over Dollaway. With another win over Rockhold this past weekend, Machida could have had a case for a rematch with the 185-pound champion.

Instead, The Dragon was taken down and submitted in the second round. Before Rockhold, only light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had submitted Machida.

Se preparando! Getting ready! #PressLyoto #GoLyoto pic.twitter.com/DSHKq0VrJA

— Lyoto Machida (@lyotomachidafw) April 18, 2015

Machida has some decisions to make after this setback, but I think he'd be wise to remain in the middleweight division rather than heading back up to 205 pounds. A bout with Tim Kennedy would give the Brazilian a chance to rebound in the middleweight class.

Matchup: Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort Winner

With a UFC loss on his record, Rockhold arguably came into UFC on Fox 15 behind Souza in the race for a shot at the middleweight championship.

That said, Souza wasn't able to take a step forward with a win in a rematch against Camozzi. Rockhold, on the other hand, made a huge statement by submitting Machida.

High class cornermen, step your game up people. @dc_mma haha victory is sweet. https://t.co/JlXFrQE7cH

— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) April 20, 2015

Since Weidman and Vitor Belfort are set to meet in a title bout during May, there isn't time for Rockhold and Souza to battle for a shot at the winner. Rockhold has moved to the front of the line and should be next even if it means a rematch with Belfort.