Anthony Hernandez is ready to swim into the deep end of the middleweight division.

The Californian was back in action in the main event of UFC Fight Night 245 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, taking on streaking Brazilian Michel Pereira. Despite a rocky start, Hernandez ultimately dominated the contest, stopping his exhausted foe with ground-and-pound in round five.

From here, Hernandez is probably only a win or two away from a middleweight title shot. The big question is who he fights next.

Fans will be asking the same question about bantamweight veteran Rob Font, who turned back the clock with an impressive decision win over the much young Kyler Phillips in Saturday's co-main event. The win isn't going to turn Font into a title challenger, but it will keep him inside the division's top 10.

Outside the top two fights, the biggest winner of the night was probably flyweight Charles Johnson, who made it four in a row with a unanimous-decision win over Chinese striker Sumudaerji on the main card. Like Hernandez and Font, he is probably looking at a fight inside his division's 15 next.

Here's what we think should be next for Hernandez, Font, and Johnson, as well as our pick for Pereira's next move.

Anthony Hernandez vs. Marvin Vettori

It's time to get things moving at the top of the UFC middleweight division.

Champion Dricus Du Plessis' latest title defense, a submission win over Israel Adesanya, wasn't all that long ago, but there's a growing queue of contenders waiting for a shot at his belt.

Former champ Sean Strickland is seemingly next in line for the opportunity, and beyond that, the winner of next weekend's Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev is probably in position. Then there's the likes of Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, both of whom are nearly ready for the opportunity, and now, we've got Hernandez in the conversation too.

Much like Imavov and Borralho, Hernandez is probably going to need at least one more win before he gets a title shot, as Strickland and Whittaker-Chimaev winner will almost certainly get their opportunities first, which could take the better part of a year.

Let's also assume Imavov and Borralho will fight each other, as they've still both accomplished a little more than Hernandez. That leaves Hernandez with little choice but to fight somebody riding a loss. Presuming Marvin Vettori and Brendan Allen will be booked to fight each other after coming to blows at a PFL event earlier this year, the best choice for Hernandez seems to Jared Cannonier.

Cannonier, a former title challenger, is still ranked No. 7, but is riding back to back losses to Imavov and Borralho. In fact, he is the guy that Imavov and Borralho beat to become legitimate title challengers.

We might as well give Hernandez the same opportunity while we wait for the title picture to get a bit clearer. It's not the perfect fight, but it seems like the best choice for right now.

Michel Pereira vs. Kevin Holland

Michel Pereira entered Saturday's headliner on an eight-fight win streak. However, he was ultimately betrayed by his poor gas tank and stopped in the fifth round of his fight with Anthony Hernandez.

It was a deflating loss, to be sure, but it's not the end of the road for the Brazilian, who remains one of the most consistently exciting fighters in the game.

In fact, it's obvious who he should fight next: fellow showman Kevin Holland.

Think about it. Holland, like Pereira, is one of the most entertaining fighters in MMA, with proven finishing ability on the feet and the mat. Like Pereira, he is also a former welterweight who seems intent on fighting at middleweight, and recently took a tough L, having suffered a rib injury in his last fight against Roman Dolidze. Holland may not be ranked at middleweight, but he was very recently ranked at welterweight and is clearly on Pereira's level.

This is a perfect fight, and it's frankly surprising the UFC hasn't tried to book it yet. It's got pay-per-view main card opener written all over it.

Rob Font vs. Mario Bautista

Despite his extensive experience against the best bantamweights in the world, Rob Font was the biggest underdog of the night against Kyler Phillips. His unanimous decision win over the much younger contender not only defied the oddsmakers but ensured he'll remain a top-10 bantamweight for the time being.

Unfortunately, Font is a bit short on options, as the majority of the top 10 is booked up. Henry Cejudo would make an interesting opponent for him, but I'm holding out hope that Cejudo will be matched up with Jose Aldo.

In that event, the best choice seems to be to match Font up with No. 9-ranked contender Mario Bautista, who is riding a close and undeniably forgettable decision win over Aldo.

Having just cracked the top 10, Bautista is probably hoping to take another big step up, and might not love the idea of fighting the 10th-ranked Font. Yet as we've already covered, most of the division's top dogs are already booked up. Much like the Hernandez vs. Cannonier fight suggested above, this one is imperfect, but it seems like the best choice given the chaotic state of the bantamweight division.

Charles Johnson vs. Matt Schnell

Charles Johnson might just turn into a serious flyweight contender.

The former LFA champ got off to a bumpy start in the UFC, losing four of his first six fights. However, after beating dangerous striker Sumudaerji by decision on Saturday's main card, he is on a four-fight streak, and seemingly ready for a date with a top-15 opponent.

Why not match him up with Matt Schnell?

Schnell has been in the rankings for ages, but after three consecutive stoppages against Matheus Nicolau, Steve Erceg, and Cody Durden, he's barely clinging to his top No. 15 spot. He's in a position where he can't really turn down fights—he just needs to win the next one the UFC offers him. At the same moment, Johnson is ready to prove he is ready to mix it up with the division's top dogs.

It just makes sense. Book it for a Fight Night main card or PPV undercard.