Matches to Make After UFC 183

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Anderson Silva went two years, three months and 18 days between victories. Such a drought would have seemed impossible not so long ago.

Silva returned from a career-threatening leg injury to defeat Nick Diaz by unanimous decision in the UFC 183 main event on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 50-45 and 50-45 in favor of the former middleweight champion, who improved to 17-2 inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s famed Octagon.

According to preliminary FightMetric data, Silva out-landed Diaz in all five rounds of a bout that took place entirely on the feet. Diaz resorted to taunting at various points in the match, but “The Spider” refused to play into his hands. Instead, he stayed disciplined, countered beautifully and exploited his advantages against the Cesar Gracie protégé. Speed, precision and variety were at the heart of his attack, as Silva zeroed in on the legs, body and head with kicks and punches. By the time it was over, Diaz was bloodied and frustrated, a loser for the third time in as many fights.

In wake of UFC 183 “Silva vs. Diaz,” here are six matchups that ought to be considered:

Related » Thoughts & Shots: UFC 183

Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre: Silva turns 40 in April and has nothing left to prove in the sport he once ruled. Yes, he did rebound against Diaz and proved he still has what it takes to compete at a high level, but “The Spider” did nothing to inspire confidence that he was ready to contend for a title, especially in another rematch with the man who ended his reign at 185 pounds: Chris Weidman. Silva pointed to the real possibility of retiring at the post-fight press conference, but if he returns, only one fight makes sense -- a long discussed showdown with St. Pierre. “Rush” remains on sabbatical after he vacated the welterweight crown following his controversial victory over Johny Hendricks in November 2013.

Nick Diaz vs. Matt Brown: Where Diaz goes from here is anyone’s guess. The mercurial former Strikeforce champion lacked the weapons necessary to give Silva pause in the UFC 183 main event, dropped a one-sided unanimous decision and suddenly finds himself on a three-fight losing streak. Few fighters move the needle like Diaz, so big-fight opportunities will undoubtedly present themselves for as long as he wants to continue competing. Brown has a date with the aforementioned Hendricks at UFC 185 in March. If he should lose in Dallas, or if injury should befall Hendricks, perhaps the door would open for a match long desired by hardcore MMA fans.

Tyron Woodley vs. Carlos Condit: Woodley recorded his fourth win in five appearances, as he settled for a split decision against an overweight Kelvin Gastelum in the co-main event. A two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri, the 32-year-old leaned almost exclusively on his potent right hand when faced with relentless forward pressure from Gastelum. Neither man was particularly efficient with his strikes, but Woodley landed the most significant blow of the match in the second round, where he nearly sat down the Arizonan with a right hand. Woodley’s first encounter with Condit at UFC 171 ended in anticlimactic fashion when the “Natural Born Killer” blew out his knee in the second round. Condit has announced plans for a May return.

Al Iaquinta vs. Jorge Masvidal: Perhaps no fighter raised his stock more at UFC 183 than Iaquinta, who tore through Joe Lauzon inside two rounds. The Serra-Longo Fight Team representative utilized clean power punches and eventually cracked Lauzon’s defenses, scoring a standing technical knockout 3:34 into round two. Iaquinta, who was a finalist on Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” has pieced together a three-fight winning streak since his submission loss to Mitch Clarke at UFC 173 in May. American Top Team’s Masvidal was scheduled to compete at a UFC Fight Night event on April 4 but has already endured two opponent changes: Bobby Green withdrew with an injury and Benson Henderson was moved to another show.

Thales Leites vs. Tim Kennedy: Leites posted his eighth straight win, as he rendered Tim Boetsch unconscious with a second-round arm-triangle choke and continued his resurgence. The 33-year-old Nova Unaio export waded through heavy fire from “The Barbarian,” ultimately capitalizing on his aggression. Leites executed a takedown, climbed to mount, set the choke and waited for Boetsch to go limp 3:45 into round two. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has not lost a fight since August 2010 and looks very much like a man who could make waves at 185 pounds. Kennedy saw his four-fight winning streak grind to a halt, albeit in controversial fashion, at UFC 178 in September, when he succumbed to third-round punches from Yoel Romero in a match marred by the incident now known as “Stoolgate.”

Thiago Alves vs. Lorenz Larkin: In just his second appearance in the last three years, Alves needed every ounce of his resolve. The American Top Team mainstay weathered a hellacious standup assault from Jordan Mein that covered much of the first round. There, the Canadian ripped into Alves with hooks, uppercuts and standing elbows, putting him on the defensive more than once. “Pitbull” survived to see round two, landed a crippling body kick and polished off Mein with punches. Larkin dazzled in his debut at 170 pounds on Jan. 18, as he needed a little more than two minutes to dismiss John Howard with punches at UFC Fight Night “McGregor vs. Siver.”