Matches to Make After UFC on ESPN 62

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to ESPN airwaves for an intriguing 11-fight card. The UFC on ESPN 62 main event saw middleweight prospect Caio Borralho take on his toughest test yet in Jared Cannonier. Also crowning two “The Ultimate Fighter” winners, there was plenty of meaningful action.

Here are five matches to make following UFC on ESPN 62.

Caio Borralho vs. Israel Adesanya

Borralho (17-1, 1 NC) proved that he’s a contender by taking a unanimous decision over Cannonier (17-8), who was nearly finished several times. It’s the biggest win in the career of the Brazilian, who is undefeated inside the promotion. With many contenders already booked, I’d like to see “The Natural” go up against former champion Israel Adesanya. “The Last Stylebender” has lost three of his last four fights but remains a high-level fighter. This would give Adesanya (24-4) a chance to bounce back against a lower-ranked foe, while also giving Borralho an opportunity to instantly become a top contender with an upset. It’s another major step up, but let’s see where both men stand.

Tabatha Ricci vs. Xiaonan Yan

In the co-main event, Ricci took a unanimous decision win by outworking Angela Hill over three rounds. “Baby Shark” has now won six of her last seven fights with recent wins over Hill and Tecia Pennington. The 29-year-old is coming into her own and could soon find herself in a championship fight with another win. Let's see the Brazilian go up against former title challenger Yan next. Yan (17-4) came up short against Weili Zhang but is still highly ranked and would give Ricci (11-2) a stellar case for a title shot with a victory.

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Ryan Loder vs. Zachary Reese

Loder defeated Robert Valentin with a series of elbows to be crowned “The Ultimate Fighter” in Season 32’s middleweight tournament. Since the timing works out, let’s have Loder take on Reese, who won a decision over Jose Medina on the prelims tonight. They both have 7-1 records as pros and don’t have a ton of time to waste at over 30. So let’s see who sinks or swims as a potential fighter to watch.

Mairon Santos vs. Seung Woo Choi

Santos became the featherweight winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 32 by violently knockout out Kaan Ofli. The Brazilian is just 24, so he has plenty of time to grow as a fighter. Let’s see Santos (14-1) go up against an older fighter in the division with more UFC experience first. South Korea's Choi makes sense, as "Sting" always looks to put on a show. It's do-or-die for Choi (11-7), though, as he'll likely need a win to stay inside the promotion. That would give Santos a motivated opponent for his next outing inside the Octagon.

Michael Morales vs. Vicente Luque

Morales picked up the biggest win of his career by finishing veteran Neil Magny in under a round. The Ecuadorian fighter used vicious ground-and-pound to put away the veteran. Up next should be another talented striker, and Luque fits the bill perfectly. "The Silent Assassin" is coming off a loss to Joaquin Buckley, but also has an impressive win over Rafael dos Anjos within his recent results. It'd be a great test for Morales, who could then get a Top 10 fight with a victory.