Matches to Make After UFC Vegas 100

The Ultimate Fighting Championship made history of sorts by putting on its 100th event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While UFC Vegas 100 was far from stacked, it had plenty of action up and down the 11-fight card. The welterweight main event also saw Carlos Prates continue his ascent up the welterweight division and extend his win streak against crafty veteran Neil Magny.

Here are five matches to make following UFC Fight Night 246.

Carlos Prates vs. Stephen Thompson

Prates (21-6) kept his finishing streak intact as he was able to finish Magny (29-13) with a brutal first-round knockout. The Brazilian’s “Nightmare” moniker is certainly accurate as he’s now 4-0 inside the UFC and is ready to take on welterweight contenders after getting past the ultimate gatekeeper in “The Haitian Sensation.” I’d like to see Prates’ striking tested against former title challenger Stephen Thompson, who has struggled recently but his TKO win over Kevin Holland shows he still can be dangerous. A win over “Wonderboy” would show just how credible the Vale Top Team product is.

Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez

Former One Championship middleweight and light heavyweight champion de Ridder introduced himself to UFC fans by defeating Gerald Meerschaert. It was a solid submission win that wouldn’t generally propel a middleweight into a fight with contenders but given his outside success and being 34 years old, let’s not waste time. A fight against the streaking former Legacy Fighting Alliance champ Hernandez would be a fun way to immediately see where the ceiling is for "The Dutch Knight." Meanwhile, "Fluffy" has won his last six fights inside the UFC and most recently picked up key wins over Michel Pereira and Roman Kopylov. The fight makes sense for both men as whoever wins will be ready for a fight against a top contender next.

Gaston Bolanos vs. Rani Yahya

Bolanos lived up to his “Dreamkiller” nickname by upsetting the debuting Contavious Romious to pick up his second win inside the Octagon. Bolanos (8-4) is now 2-1 inside the UFC with a win over Aaron Phillips and a loss to Marcus McGhee. The Peruvian fighter did well dealing with the grappling of Romious (9-3), but let’s see him take on a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist like Yahya next. It’d be a test against a much more veteran savvy fighter in Yahya (28-12), and Bolanos can prove he’s here to stay with a win.

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Gillian Robertson vs. Angela Hill

Robertson is continuing to evolve and picked up her third straight UFC win by outgrappling Luana Pinheiro. Just 29, “The Savage” usually lives up to her nickname with exciting fights and plenty of finishes on her record. Surprisingly, Robertson (15-8) has never fought Hill, and I think now is the time for the two strawweights to go at it. It’d be a welcome fight on any Fight Night. Hill (17-14) doesn’t have the most impressive record but has won four of her last six fights and is always going up against contenders. Let’s see if Robertson can continue to rise up the ranks.

Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Cody Brundage

Abdul-Malik made a successful UFC debut by getting a quick TKO win over Dusko Todorovic. Abdul-Malik (7-0) landed a gorgeous knee and finished off his opponent with punches. The undefeated middlweight showed a lot of promise, but there's no need to rush the 27-year-old American. Let him face a more experienced fighter, such as Brundage, who can provide more experience and a different test. 2-1 with one no contest in his last four fights, Brundage is a proven UFC fighter that is a proper step up for the prospect.