UFC news: Fights to make next for the main card fighters of UFC 272

UFC 272 is over so now let's take a look at who Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, Bryce Mitchell, Kevin Holland, and more, should fight next.

UFC 272 comes to an end after a rollercoaster of emotion all throughout fight week. Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal had a very ugly pre-fight press conference. Rafael dos Anjos found himself with an opponent and Renato Moicano was brave enough to step in on short notice. Kevin Holland was making his first cut down to welterweight in the UFC. Finally, Greg Hardy was on the last fight of his contract.

Each man on the main card will get matched up with the opponent that makes the most sense. Greg Hardy is a bit tricky as there is no guarantee he will stay with the UFC now that his contract is up. The rest of the main card finds fighters that are in positions to take on fun fights and look to build up their career. Jorge Masvidal finds himself in a tough spot as his days fighting for the welterweight title are over. Let's take a look at the matches to make next now that UFC 272 is over.

Colby Covington

Colby Covington finds himself in the Max Holloway/Daniel Cormier spot in his career as he's better than everyone except the champion in his division. His win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 cements his place in the division. A trilogy against Kamaru Usman could certainly happen but it's not next by any means. Looking at the welterweight division, Gilbert Burns is booked, Leon Edwards is set to fight the champion, and Belal Muhammad is booked against Vicente Luque. Calling out a lightweight isn't great but if Dustin Poirier is truly interested in moving up to welterweight, then that is the fight to make. There is a big story between the two and both men have been circling each other for some time now. Dustin Poirier vs Colby Covington next.

Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal is now at a point in his career where it's very unlikely that he'll fight for the welterweight title. He's now at a point where we can look at fun fights for him next. The fight with Nate Diaz has already happened but people like Conor McGregor are still out there. There is currently a fight between Neil Magny and Max Griffin set for March 26. A fight against the winner would make a lot of sense as all men involved are strikers. Jorge Masvidal vs the winner of Neil Magny vs Max Griffin.

Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos scored a dominant decision win over Renato Moicano at UFC 272. He now has two wins in a row at lightweight and he'll look to continue moving up in the lightweight division. He may actually find himself in the right spot to take on a certain Conor McGregor. McGregor is looking to get a title shot in his return and a fight with dos Anjos would certainly help justify him fighting the champion. There's a real storyline there and the fight is winnable for both men. Now is the time to book it. Rafael dos Anjos vs Conor McGregor.

Renato Moicano

Renato Moicano proved at UFC 272 that he is a true fighter. He stepped up with no training camp and very little preparation for a fight. The UFC has a habit of rewarding short notice fighters with a big fight next. Moicano is not ranked at lightweight but he could take on someone just outside of the top-10. The next fight that makes sense for him is Brad Riddell. It's a fun matchup and both men will be looking to bounce back from tough losses. Renato Moicano vs Brad Riddell.

Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell may be the redneck Khabib Nurmagomedov after his smothering win over Edson Barboza at UFC 272. The Arkansas native dominated the fight and proved he belongs at the top of the division. He could use an opponent with good grappling and good stand-up. Enter Josh Emmett, the UFC featherweight has an underrated wrestling game and is very dangerous in the feet. Mitchell needs a big test to prove he belongs at the top of the division and that's exactly what Emmett brings to the matchup. Bryce Mitchell vs Josh Emmett.

Edson Barboza

Edson Barboza will want to bounce back quickly after his tough loss at UFC 272. His striking was excellent but he just didn't have the defensive grappling to keep Bryce Mitchell off of him. He's still going to look to move up the division at featherweight and will want to be careful with the fight that he takes next. Someone young with a striking background makes a lot of sense. March 12 sees Sodiq Yusuff take on Alex Caceres in a fun striking match. The winner would be perfect for Barboza. Either the young contender beats him and climbs the division or Barboza bounces back and is set to climb the division. Edson Barboza vs the winner of Sodiq Yusiff vs Alex Caceres.