5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park

Another UFC show is in the books. This weekend's effort, which took place at the Las Vegas APEX, wasn't exactly loaded with talent.

However, UFC Fight Night: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park did feature some fun fights and some strong wins from a group of talented fighters.

What's next for them? That's for the matchmakers to decide, but at least one title contender was produced last night.

Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park.

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#5. UFC bantamweight bout: Rinya Nakamura vs. Davey Grant

Japanese bantamweight prospect Rinya Nakamura was one of last night's big winners. 'Hybrid' erased the memories of his first career loss by needing just a minute to stop opponent Nathan Fletcher with a savage body kick.

With an impressive background in amateur wrestling and striking skills that are clearly developing well, it's probably fair to give Nakamura another step up the ladder. After all, at the age of 30, he isn't actually that young.

A good opponent for him, then, could be the UK's Davey Grant. 'Dangerous' upset the surging Da'Mon Blackshear in Abu Dhabi last weekend, showing some impressive striking and takedown defense.

Grant is currently on a two-fight win streak and has won four of his last five. With a ton of experience and a well-rounded game, he'd definitely provide Nakamura with a stern test.

If 'Hybrid' could pass that test, he could be pushed up against a near-elite level opponent.

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#4. UFC featherweight bout: Kevin Vallejos vs. Sean Woodson

Long considered a man to watch at 145 pounds, Kevin Vallejos took his UFC record to 2-0 with a clear-cut win over Danny Silva last night.

'El Chino' wasn't flashy, but he got the job done against an opponent who tried desperately to draw him into some mind games. Vallejos didn't take the bait, though, and was largely impressive.

With a 16-1 record with the only loss coming to Jean Silva, it might be fair to push Vallejos up the ladder for his next fight.

With that in mind, a good test could be the lanky 'Sniper', Sean Woodson.

The last time Woodson fought, he saw a 7-fight unbeaten run snapped by Dan Ige. However, with a ridiculous 78in reach, 'The Sniper' would definitely give Vallejos a tricky puzzle to solve.

If he could win, then 'El Chino' would be on the verge of the top fifteen. Even if he were to lose, though, his momentum wouldn't stall all that much, making this a worthy match to make.

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#3. UFC welterweight bout: Neil Magny vs. Gabriel Bonfim

It was business as usual for longtime welterweight veteran Neil Magny last night. Faced with a fellow veteran in Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos rather than a hot prospect, 'The Haitian Sensation' dominated proceedings to take a second-round TKO win.

Magny won't crack the top 15 at 170 pounds with the win, but it should re-establish him as one of the division's premier gatekeepers.

A good fight for him next, then, could be Brazil's No. 14-ranked Gabriel Bonfim.

'Marretinha' squeezed out a split decision win over former title challenger Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson last month to move into the rankings. However, he's still looking for a true signature win.

If he could beat Magny as the likes of Michael Morales and Ian Machado Garry did, he'd have the win he's looking for. If not, then 'The Haitian Sensation' would move back into the top fifteen, no doubt ready to take on the next hot up-and-comer in the division.

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#2. UFC lightweight bout: Chris Duncan vs. Esteban Ribovics

Last night's UFC event was a bit of a rarity in that not one, but two fights were awarded the 'Fight of the Night' award. Interestingly, both fights also took place at 155 pounds.

First, Esteban Ribovics was able to outduel Elves Brener in a fight that saw the two men combine for more than 200 significant strikes across three rounds.

Then, in the co-headliner, Scotland's Chris Duncan was able to edge out Mateusz Rebecki in a bloodbath that saw both men take some serious damage despite neither scoring a knockdown.

Based on the excitement produced by both fights, it makes perfect sense to match the winners with one another.

Both Duncan and Ribovics sport similar records in the octagon - Duncan is 6-2, Ribovics is 5-2 - and both are probably in similar positions in the overall rankings, too.

'The Problem' and 'El Gringo' would be highly likely to go to war, meaning that the chances of them claiming another $50k bonus each would be high. Overall, this would definitely be a fun fight to book in the near future.

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#1. UFC flyweight bout: Tatsuro Taira vs. Amir Albazi

Last night's UFC event was supposed to be headlined by a flyweight showdown between top 10-ranked Tatsuro Taira and Amir Albazi.

With Albazi forced out due to an injury, though, Taira instead dispatched late replacement Hyun Sung Park with relative ease. The Japanese star dropped Park in the first round and submitted him in the second.

Due to Park being a late replacement, it's unlikely that Taira will climb any higher than his current rank of No.6.

Therefore, if Albazi can make a swift return from the issue that sidelined him this weekend, then the best move would probably be to re-book the fight.

'The Prince' is still ranked at No.4, meaning he'd still technically be a step up for Taira, although after his showing this weekend, it could be argued that the Japanese fighter should be considered the favorite.

Either way, with both men looking for a future title shot, this would still be a big fight to make in the division. Hopefully, it can be done before 2025 is out.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann