What's next for UFC 252 winners?

Another event is in the books.

Stipe Miocic retained his heavyweight title in the main event of Saturday's UFC 252, a rising bantamweight fell short for the first time in his career, and a mighty heavyweight stopped a former champion to solidify his status as a contender.

Here's what should come next for the notable winners in Las Vegas.

Stipe Miocic

Defeated: Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision
Should fight: Francis Ngannou

Two-and-a-half years after Miocic successfully defended his belt against Ngannou, it's time for a rematch.

The only other option for Miocic is a superfight against UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. That's the sexy choice, but it would make sense only if there wasn't a clear-cut No. 1 contender. Ngannou is exactly that.

"The Predator" has won four straight fights, erasing any doubt after he lost back-to-back meetings against Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018. His wins came against two former champions in Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, and two top contenders in Curtis Blaydes and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

A rematch between Miocic and Ngannou could play out no differently than their first clash, but there's only one way to find out if the challenger has made the necessary improvements to become the champion. Ultimately, it's ridiculous to suggest anyone but Ngannou deserves the title shot.

Marlon Vera

Defeated: Sean O'Malley by first-round TKO
Should fight: Raphael Assuncao

Vera is ready for a step up in competition after putting away rising star O'Malley.

A rematch between "Chito" and "Sugar" should eventually be booked due to the unfortunate ending to their fight. But the latter will need time to recover from his leg injury, so it may not be possible to run it back immediately.

In the meantime, Vera should move forward in the division after adding a big name to his resume, and a fight against Assuncao checks all the boxes.

Assuncao is a longtime contender at bantamweight, and though he's riding a three-fight skid (and is past his prime), those losses have come to only the best of the best in the division: Cody Garbrandt, Cory Sandhagen, and Marlon Moraes. This would give the Brazilian an opportunity to get back on track.

Vera, meanwhile, would have a chance to pick up the biggest win of his career against a seasoned veteran and prove he's a real contender at 135 pounds.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Defeated: Junior dos Santos by second-round TKO
Should fight: Winner of Alistair Overeem versus Augusto Sakai

Rozenstruik put himself in a good spot by beating dos Santos, but he'll need another win or two to get a heavyweight title shot.

To continue his climb up the division, "Bigi Boy" should fight the winner of the Sept. 5 main event between former title challenger Overeem and rising prospect Sakai.

It'll be a rematch from December if Overeem wins. Rozenstruik emerged victorious from the first affair thanks to a knockout with just seconds remaining in the five-round headliner, but Overeem was up on all scorecards heading into the final frame. It feels like there's unfinished business between the two heavyweights, and a second bout could be intriguing.

If Sakai beats Overeem, he'll be a legitimate contender in the division. The 29-year-old is 4-0 in the UFC and has great potential, but he lacks a marquee win on his resume. At that point, Sakai would deserve another big fight, and Rozenstruik fits the bill.

Merab Dvalishvili

Defeated: John Dodson by unanimous decision
Should fight: Jimmie Rivera

Dvalishvili is another bantamweight who deserves a step up in competition after earning a lopsided win over former flyweight title challenger Dodson.

"The Machine" extended his winning streak to five with Saturday's victory and is shaping up to be a feared contender thanks to his pace and excellent takedowns.

Dvalishvili should face Rivera to determine who may become a potential bantamweight title challenger. Rivera recently snapped a losing skid with a win over Cody Stamann, and he once seemed destined to be a UFC champion before losses to Moraes, Aljamain Sterling, and current champ Petr Yan derailed that possibility. However, he still has time to turn his career around, and a win over Dvalishvili would help in doing so.

As for Dvalishvili, this could result in another quality win. The 29-year-old has more promise than almost any 135-pound fighter does right now, so the promotion should give him a tough test in Rivera and see if he can pass it.