Matches to Make After UFC on Fox 25

Chris Weidman pried his way back into the conversation in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division.

The former champion broke a three-fight losing streak and regained his footing at 185 pounds, as he submitted “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner Kelvin Gastelum with a third-round arm-triangle choke in the UFC on Fox 25 headliner on Saturday at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Finished for the first time in his career, Gastelum bowed out 3:45 into Round 3.

Weidman had to work for it. Gastelum had him in serious danger near the end of the first round, where he floored the Serra-Longo Fight Team star with an overhand left behind the ear. Weidman hit the deck glassy-eyed but recovered quickly and benefited from the respite between rounds. He executed five of his seven takedowns in the second and third rounds, per FightMetric, and kept the slippery Gastelum bottled up on the canvas. Roughly a minute into Round 3, he moved toward mount and caught the arm-triangle. His squeeze proved too much for Gastelum to overcome.

In the aftermath of UFC on Fox 25 “Weidman vs. Gastelum,” here are five matches that ought to be made:

Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold-David Branch winner: Consecutive losses to Rockhold, Yoel Romero and Gegard Mousasi backed Weidman into a corner, and he responded. The 33-year-old Baldwin, New York, native weathered a first-round knockdown against Gastelum and lured him deeper and deeper into his web with takedowns, ground-and-pound and positional control. Weidman’s arm-triangle choke submission marked his first victory since he disposed of Vitor Belfort with punches in May 2015. Rockhold will square off with Branch in the UFC Fight Night 116 main event on Sept. 16.

Darren Elkins vs. Brian Ortega-Renato Moicano winner: Elkins advanced another rung on the featherweight ladder with a split decision over Dennis Bermudez in the co-main event. “The Damage” overcame a significant disadvantage in the speed department, as he frustrated Bermudez with repeated clinches, timely takedowns and superior mat work. Elkins has quietly rattled off four straight wins since his December 2014 loss to Hacran Dias, the 33-year-old Team Alpha Male rep having bested Bermudez, Godofredo Castro, Chas Skelly and Robert Whiteford during his current run. Ortega and Carneiro, both undefeated, have been booked opposite on another at UFC 214 on July 29.

Patrick Cummins vs. Ion Cutelaba: No one can deny the competitive drive housed within Cummins. The two-time NCAA All-American withstood several brushes with adversity to eke out a split decision against Gian Villante in a three-round light heavyweight feature. Cummins suffered a cut during an inadvertent clash of heads and staggered more than once on the end of the heavy-handed Villante’s punches, but he persevered. His counterpart faded in the second and third rounds, giving Cummins the opening he needed. He backed up clubbing punching combinations with a strong jab, a series of clinches and a handful of takedown attempts, all of which served to drain Villante’s reserves. Cutelaba last appeared at UFC Fight Night 110, where he knocked out Luis Henrique da Silva inside one round on June 11 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Jimmie Rivera vs. Dominick Cruz: While he can make a legitimate claim as the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, Rivera will likely have to wait for the Cody Garbrandt-T.J. Dillashaw rivalry to be resolved before challenging for the belt. The 28-year-old Team Tiger Schulmann standout outdueled Thomas Almeida across three entertaining rounds for a 20th consecutive victory, riding past the Brazilian on the strength of two-first round knockdowns and a pair of late takedowns. Rivera has gone 5-0 under the UFC flag, with wins over Almeida, Urijah Faber, Iuri Alcantara, Pedro Munhoz and Marcus Brimage. Cruz last competed at UFC 207 in December, when a unanimous decision defeat to Garbrandt cost him the UFC bantamweight crown.

Alex Oliveira vs. Alan Jouban-Niko Price winner: The mercurial Oliveira overcame a rough start and delivered a brutal one-punch knockout on former Ring of Combat champion Ryan LaFlare in the second round of their undercard battle at 170 pounds. LaFlare held an early advantage, as he executed a takedown, advanced to side control and stifled the Brazilian from the top with overwhelming pressure and the occasional submission threat. Oliveira was undeterred. He trapped LaFlare on the feet in the second round and froze the oncoming Lindenhurst, New York, native with a perfectly timed counter right uppercut. No follow-up shots were necessary, as referee John McCarthy waved it off 1:50 into Round 2. Jouban and Price will lock horns at UFC Fight Night 114 on Aug. 5.