Matches to Make After UFC Kansas City

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Kansas City for UFC on ESPN 66. The 14-fight card was headlined by a five-round fight between welterweight contenders Ian Garry and Carlos Prates. It also featured former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith in his retirement bout, plus worthwhile action in the featherweight and middleweight divisions.

Here are five matches to make following UFC Kansas City.

Ian Garry vs. Leon Edwards

Garry is in a good spot after bouncing back from his loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov by outstriking Carlos Prates over five rounds and surviving a scare late. While the recent defeat to "Nomad" will keep him out of the immediate title picture (as both Sean Brady and Rakhmonov are more deserving), a fight against former champ Edwards would make for an intriguing crossroads. With a victory, Garry (16-1) would be right back in the thick of things and ready for a potential title eliminator. Meanwhile, “Rocky” desperately needs a win if he’s to still be considered elite at 170. It’d be a pivotal fight for both men and should bring out the best in both of them.

Mingyang Zhang vs. Bogdan Guskov

Zhang took care of business by retiring Anthony Smith with a barrage of elbows. Zhang (18-6) is now 3-0 inside the Octagon with three straight TKOs inside the first round and deserves a step up after dispatching the 36-year-old with ease. Uzbekistan's Guskov would make for a good next fight as "Czarevitch" has also put together three straight wins since losing his promotional debut against Volkan Oezdemir. Guskov (17-3) and Zhang are both relatively new faces in a top-heavy division, so the winner would be in a good position to challenge a ranked fighter sooner rather than later.

David Onama vs. Josh Emmett

Onama picked up the biggest win of his career by outwrestling Giga Chikadze over three rounds. Onama (14-2) is now one to watch at 145 and deserves another ranked opponent in his next outing. I’d like to see Emmett get a crack at the “Silent Assassin,” who has now put together four straight wins inside the Octagon. "CC0" hasn't had as much success lately, as he just fell short against Lerone Murphy, but his vicious knockout of Bryce Mitchell showed he’s still dangerous. This would allow Onama another chance to show off his diverse skillset and give Emmett (19-5) a shot at delivering another upset at the expense of a younger fighter.

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Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Jack Hermansson

Magomedov picked up the biggest win of his career by easily outworking Michel Pereira to a decision win. Magomedov (28-6-1) has now put together three straight wins at middleweight and has rebounded nicely since coming up short to Sean Strickland and Caio Borralho. He’s deserving of another veteran test, and Hermansson fits the bill perfectly. “The Joker” is 2-1 in his last three and recently dispatched Joe Pyfer to prove he still has more left in the tank at 36. Hermansson (24-8) would serve as a great litmus test to see if Magomedov is ready to face contenders again. If this proves to be too much for Magomedov, the Swedish fighter will have earned a ranked fight for himself.

Randy Brown vs. Carlos Leal

Brown scored the best knockout of his career by demolishing Nicolas Dalby with a gorgeous right hook. Brown (20-6) has now won four of his last five, although a recent loss to Bryan Battle means he still has plenty left to prove at 170 before getting marquee bouts. A fight that would make sense for "Rudeboy" would be against Leal. "The Lion" has won three of his last four, including a TKO win over Alex Morono. Both men come to slug it out and it’d be a fun addition to any Fight Night card.