Matches to Make After UFC 297

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's first pay-per-view ended up crowning two new champions. In the main event, Dricus Du Plessis dethroned former middleweight champ Sean Strickland via split decision. Meanwhile, Raquel Pennington defeated Mayra Bueno Silva to claim the vacant women’s bantamweight title. This opens up plenty of exciting possibilities in both divisions, as did the rest of the UFC 297 card.

Here are five fights to make after UFC 297.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya

Despite losing a wide decision to Strickland (28-6) in his last outing, Israel Adesanya remains in demand. The former middleweight king is being called out by former foe and current light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, but staying at middleweight makes the most sense. There’s already a feud to reignite against Du Plessis (21-2), as the two memorably faced off at UFC 290. The fight would be interesting, especially after Adesanya has proven vulnerable in his recent defeats, and the trash talk would dominate headlines.

Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Pena

Pennington is the newly crowned women's bantamweight champion but her spot as the top fighter in the weight class is certainly disputed. Up next for Pennington (16-8) should be former titleholder Pena, who has been vocal about wanting to face the winner. "The Venezuelan Vixen" split a series of fights with Amanda Nunes and has been a mainstay in the division since winning 2013’s "The Ultimate Fighter 18,” which also saw Pennington compete. It's the most marketable fight in a division lacking contenders, so it's a no-brainer decision.

Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales

Magny showed he's still here with a comeback win over Canadian welterweight Mike Malott. "The Haitian Sensation" is now 29-11 as a professional and has won two of his last three fights. A fun test for the 36-year-old would be against a young, undefeated prospect like Morales. The 23-year-old is coming off impressive decision wins over Jake Matthews and Max Griffin. If Morales (16-0) can surpass Magny, then the Ecuadorian fighter would prove to be one to watch in the division.

Chris Curtis vs. Andre Muniz

Curtis (31-10, 1 NC) got back into the win column by defeating Marc-Andre Barriault in a close contest. "The Action Man" will now be looking to show that he still has a run left in him at 36. Up next should be a fight against Brazilian Muniz. "Sergipano" recently rebounded from back-to-back defeats to Paul Craig and Brendan Allen by winning a split decision over Jun Yong Park. Prior to his Octagon setbacks, Muniz (24-6) had won five straight, including impressive submission wins over Ronaldo Souza and Eryk Anders. The winner would then be primed to move up the rankings.

Movsar Evloev vs. Volkanovski/Topuria Winner

Evloev made a statement win against Arnold Allen, picking up a unanimous decision victory en route to becoming 18-0 as a professional. Now 8-0 inside the Octagon, the Russian fighter is now a clear title contender. With Max Holloway moving up to lightweight for a brawl against Justin Gaethje, it puts Evloev in perfect position to face the winner of Alex Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria, which will take place next month at UFC 298. The undefeated challenger would prove a stern test for whoever comes out on top and would be a fresh face if “The Great” retains.