Matches to Make After UFC 179

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Not even the best Chad Mendes had to offer was enough to dethrone Jose Aldo.

Aldo tightened his grip on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division with a unanimous decision over Mendes in the UFC 179 “Aldo vs. Mendes 2” main event on Saturday at Maracanazinho Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro. All three cageside judges awarded the champion four rounds, as he swept the scorecards with identical 49-46 marks.

Mendes forced the Nova Uniao standout to bend further than anyone had before -- he landed 85 strikes, 77 of them significant, according to preliminary FightMetric figures -- but never could turn the tide in his favor. Aldo connected on a career-high 102 significant strikes, out-landing the challenger in every round but the fourth. The 28-year-old Brazilian has now won 18 consecutive bouts and remains firmly entrenched at or near the top of virtually every reputable pound-for-pound list.

Related: UFC 179 By the Numbers

In wake of UFC 179, here are six matchups that ought to be considered:

Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson or Conor McGregor: Aldo aced his sternest test to date, as he met the hyper-aggressive Mendes with a steady diet of accurate, power punching combinations. He also stuffed seven of the eight takedown attempts from the Team Alpha Male export, turning their rematch into a kickboxing match. On the feet, Aldo’s quickness, technique and experience prevailed. He has successfully defended the 145-pound title on seven different occasions against a variety of would-be successors, from Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian to Frankie Edgar and Chan Sung Jung. Swanson will meet Edgar in a UFC Fight Night headliner on Nov. 22 in Austin, Texas, and in victory would have the rightful claim as the No. 1 contender. Should Swanson stumble, McGregor would be in prime position to challenge for UFC gold, provided he can take care of business against Dennis Siver on Jan. 18 in Boston.

Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas-Dennis Bermudez loser: Mendes finds himself in an unenviable position -- an elite featherweight who has already lost twice to a dominant champion. The 29-year-old figures to remain a factor at 145 pounds for the foreseeable future but faces a lengthy wait for another crack at the title, so long as Aldo resists the temptation to move to the lightweight division. Lamas and Bermudez will collide at UFC 180 on Nov. 18 in Mexico.

Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans: Davis answered his doubters in resounding fashion in the UFC 179 co-main event, controlling and neutralizing Glover Teixeira with takedowns, an oppressive top game and plenty of ground-and-pound. The 30-year-old Alliance MMA representative executed nine takedowns against Teixeira and outstruck the Brazilian by a staggering 109-14 count. Davis has compiled a 9-2 record since arriving in the UFC some five years ago. Evans -- who owns a January 2012 decision victory over “Mr. Wonderful” -- has not fought since he wiped out Chael Sonnen with first-round punches in November, as reconstructive knee surgery has kept the former champion on the sidelines.

Glover Teixeira vs. Mauricio Rua-Jimi Manuwa loser: Teixeira looked slow and sloppy in dropping a one-sided unanimous decision to the aforementioned Davis. The Brazilian has followed his 20-fight winning streak with back-to-back losses, raising legitimate concerns about his place in the light heavyweight division. Teixeira, who turns 35 in a matter of days, looked nothing like the fighter who dispatched Ryan Bader, submitted James Te Huna and teed off on Fabio Maldonado. Rua will lock horns with Manuwa in a UFC Fight Night headliner on Nov. 8 in Brazil.

Darren Elkins vs. Max Holloway: Elkins bounced back from his loss to Jeremy Stephens in January with a hard-fought split decision over Chute Boxe’s Lucas Martins. The Duneland Vale Tudo featherweight grinded on Martins in close quarters, largely short circuiting the considerable advantage he held in the standup department. Elkins did a majority of his work in the clinch, as he recorded his seventh win in nine appearances and kept his name relevant at 145 pounds. Holloway, 22, has finished four straight opponents, Akira Corassani becoming his latest victim on Oct. 4 in Sweden.

Neil Magny vs. Jordan Mein-Thiago Alves winner: A semifinalist on Season 16 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Magny has blossomed within the UFC’s welterweight division. The 27-year-old equaled a modern Ultimate Fighting Championship record by posting his fifth win inside a calendar year, as he wore down William Macario en route to a third-round ground-and-pound stoppage. Not much was expected from Magny after he lost back-to-back fights against Sergio Moraes and Seth Baczynski in 2013, but he has since put together wins over Gasan Umalatov, Tim Means, Rodrigo Goiana de Lima, Alex Garcia and Macario. Mein will battle American Top Team’s Alves at UFC 183 on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.