UFC on ESPN 43 went down on Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas, and there were some great fights on the bill.

The card was headlined by a high-stakes bantamweight bout, as No. 3 contender Marlon "Chito" Vera took on No. 5-ranked contender Cory Sandhagen. The two bantamweight finishers ended up going all five rounds, with the American Sandhagen getting a split-decision win over his Ecuadorian rival—though it was more decisive than that verdict implies.

In the co-main event, former women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm picked up a lopsided decision win over Yana Santos—formerly Yana Kunitskaya—reaffirming that, even at 41, she remains one of the sport's top female fighters.

Rising featherweight Nate Landwehr was also back in action on the main card, scoring a quick submission against Austin Lingo, while flyweight contender Maycee Barber also impressed with a hard-fought split-decision win over the No. 11-ranked Andrea Lee.

Keep scrolling for the fights we're hoping to see once the stars of the card are all healed up.

Cory Sandhagen vs. Sean O'Malley

For a while, it was unclear whether the next crack at bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling would go to former champ Henry Cejudo or top contender Sean O'Malley. We now know that Cejudo will challenge Sterling for the belt at UFC 288 on May 6 in Newark, New Jersey.

That means O'Malley is without a dance partner for his next fight. It's hard to imagine a better choice for him than Sandhagen. Not only are both men ranked in the top five and riding wins over high-level foes—O'Malley last beat former champ Petr Yan by split decision—but they are also two of the most dynamic and versatile strikers in the weight class.

It's an incredible matchup on paper, and it makes even more sense now O'Malley has seemingly been leap-frogged in the bantamweight pecking order by Merab Dvalishvili, who recently burst into title contention with his own decision win over Yan.

Marlon Vera vs. Petr Yan

Contrary to his split-decision loss in the UFC on ESPN 43 main event—which typically implies a very close fight—Marlon Vera didn't have a whole lot to offer Cory Sandhagen in the Octagon. Still, the Ecuadorian is unlikely to lose much ground in defeat, and his popularity ensures he will get another big fight next time out.

Our pick is the former champion, Petr Yan. Yan is riding a pair of decision losses to Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley but, like Vera, remains one of the division's most dangerous fighters in spite of his recent results.

Vera and Yan also match up beautifully on paper, as Vera can finish fights on the feet or the mat, and the Russian former champ is one of the best boxers in the weight class.

Holly Holm vs. Julianna Peña

Even at 41, with decades of combat sports experience behind her, Holly Holm remains one of the best female fighters in the UFC. She reaffirmed that fact in the UFC on ESPN 43 co-main event, when she grappled her way to a lopsided unanimous-decision win over Yana Santos.

One of the big drawbacks of Holm's experience in the Octagon is that she has fought pretty much every good fighter in her weight class. Thankfully, there is one fighter ranked above her she has yet to fight: No. 2 contender and former champ Julianna Peña.

Peña hasn't fought since she lost the belt to Amanda Nunes last summer, and it's not totally clear what she is planning with respect to her future in the Octagon, but if she still intends to compete, there is no other fight to make.

It's an interesting matchup, and the winner would be right back in the mix for a crack at Nunes.

Nate Landwehr vs. Jack Shore

Nate Landwehr has put together a nice little win streak.

The all-action American featherweight was back in action on the UFC on ESPN 43 main card, defeating Austin Lingo with a second-round rear-naked choke. It was his third win in a row—and cause for a step up in competition.

Our pick for his next fight is Welshman Jack Shore, another fast-rising fighter in the jam-packed featherweight division.

Shore was last in the Octagon at UFC 286 earlier this month, when he rebounded from a loss to Ricky Simón with a submission victory over Makwan Amirkhani. The win pushed his record to an impressive 17-1.

Maycee Barber vs. Amanda Ribas

Maycee Barber picked up her fourth straight win at UFC on ESPN 43, defeating No. 11-ranked flyweight contender Andrea Lee by split decision. It was one of the biggest wins of her career to date, an important step as she looks to live up to the hype that has followed her since she arrived in the UFC in 2018.

It remains to be seen how far Barber can go at flyweight, but she deserves another solid test in her next fight. Our pick is a clash with Brazilian submission specialist Amanda Ribas.

Ribas, who has also competed at strawweight, defeated Viviane Araújo by unanimous decision at UFC 285 earlier this month, rebounding from a split-decision loss to Katlyn Chookagian in the process.

She's currently ranked No. 9 in the weight class and would make a great opponent for Barber at this stage.