UFC 225 got off to a fast start and closed with a Fight of the Year contender at United Center in Chicago.

The barnburner between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker was not for the UFC middleweight belt because Romero was 0.2 pounds over the weight limit. It wouldn't matter. Whittaker edged out Romero after a wild, back-and-forth battle. The champ got his hand raised and now will look to heal up before meeting his next challenger.

In the co-main event, polarizing figure Colby Covington claimed the interim welterweight strap against Rafael dos Anjos. He will get Tyron Woodley next barring injuries, but what about Dos Anjos?

Those were just the two top fights of a 13-fight card that featured Holly Holm, Claudia Gadelha, Alistair Overeem and, yes, CM Punk.

So, what's next for each of the 26 fighters?

Preliminary Fights Quick Hits

Dan Ige def. Mike Santiago by TKO at 0:50 of the first round

• Mike Santiago should be cut from the roster.
• Dan Ige vs. Jeremy Kennedy

Charles Oliveira def. Clay Guida via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:18 of the first round

• Clay Guida vs. Nik Lentz
• Charles Oliveira vs. Bobby Green

Sergio Pettis def. Joseph Benavidez by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

• Joseph Benavidez vs. Ray Borg
• Sergio Pettis vs. Jussier Formiga

Anthony Smith def. Rashad Evans by KO at 0:53 of the first round

• Rashad Evans should be cut from the roster.
• Anthony Smith vs. Sam Alvey

Chris de la Rocha def. Rashad Coulter by TKO at 3:53 of the second round

• Rashad Coulter should be cut from the roster.
• Chris de la Rocha vs. Dmitry Sosnovskiy

Mirsad Bektic def. Ricardo Lamas by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

• Ricardo Lamas vs. Loser of Dennis Bermudez vs. Rick Glenn (July 14)
• Mirsad Bektic vs. Frankie Edgar

Claudia Gadelha def. Carla Esparza by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

• Carla Esparza vs. Cortney Casey
• Claudia Gadelha vs. Michelle Waterson

Curtis Blaydes def. Alistair Overeem by TKO at 2:56 of the third round

• Alistair Overeem vs. Justin Willis
• Curtis Blaydes vs. Winner of Junior dos Santos vs. Blagoi Ivanov (July 14)

CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson

Mike Jackson def. CM Punk by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

The CM Punk experiment is over. And Mike Jackson's time in the UFC appears over as well.

Let's start with Punk. He is not a good fighter and is 0-2. He's not UFC-caliber. He's done. Simple. Cut and dried.

As for Jackson? A win typically earns you a return trip, but UFC President Dana White was not a fan of his performance. At the post-fight press conference, White was adamant he needs to go back to what he was doing prior to his time in the UFC. He also had some expletives directed toward his performance (h/t NBC Sports Chicago's Mike Allardyce).

Both are done in the UFC.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa def. Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Tai Tuivasa and Andrei Arlovski went to battle and gave the crowd a show in the heavyweight division. Tuivasa edged Arlovski and got a signature victory to move up the ranks.

Arlovski, in a losing effort, performed better than he has in the past and took several huge shots. The longtime staple will continue to be a fixture in the division. The UFC could put him against another notable name who is coming off a loss, but Marcelo Golm makes the most sense.

Arlovski looked good. Build him back up.

Tuivasa isn't ready for a title shot or title eliminator. The current landscape has many of the top names booked. One possible matchup would be against the winner of July 22's Stefan Struve vs. Marcin Tybura fight. That's a good resume-building opportunity while not in the upper echelon just yet.

Holly Holm vs. Megan Anderson

Holly Holm def. Megan Anderson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Megan Anderson was all set to grab her title shot against Cris "Cyborg" Justino. There was only one problem—Holly Holm stood in her way. Holm put it on the up-and-comer for 15 minutes to claim a clear-cut decision victory.

There are not many options at 145 for Anderson, but the UFC has signed Leah Letson to a contract. That's someone other than Cyborg in the division. So, make that.

Holm has options. Both for gold. A rematch against Cyborg or a chance to get her bantamweight title back against Amanda Nunes. The latter is the fight to make.

Holm vs. Nunes is the definitive answer as to who is the top woman at 135. It is also the best stylistic clash in the women's divisions. Everything is set to make this fight. But if the UFC wants the Cyborg vs. Holm rematch, that is something else to consider. A win for Holm there makes her the greatest of all time. A true legacy fight.

But Nunes is the fight to make for now. If she wins, make the Cyborg rematch.

Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington

Colby Covington def. Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)

No matter anyone's personal feelings on Colby Covington, the man can fight. The talented grappler outlasted Rafael dos Anjos to claim the interim UFC welterweight strap.

That makes the decision for his next fight quite easy. It's Tyron Woodley. Sign it.

The next fight for Dos Anjos is a bit more difficult to ascertain. How far does he fall? Does the UFC recognize the closeness of the fight and keep him in the running?

There is one name that keeps coming to mind: Kamaru Usman.

Usman is trying to make his name in the division and get significant fights, but few want to fight him. Dos Anjos would not back down and offers a clear path for Usman to make a statement. This is a prime contender for a big televised main event later in the year.

Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero

Robert Whittaker def. Yoel Romero by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)

The fight got off to a slow start, but Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero put on a Fight of the Year contender that was sparked by one of the greatest rounds in MMA history. Whittaker and Romero threw down in a war-of-attrition third frame.

In a controversial nod, Whittaker stood tall in what was a non-title affair anyhow because Romero missed weight.

In the post-fight press conference, White suggested that Romero should move to 205. But for these purposes, we'll keep booking him at 185. And a rematch we should see is Romero vs. Jacare Souza. The two fought 15 minutes at UFC 194, where Romero got a controversial nod of his own. Given the current layout of the division, sign the rematch.

Whittaker was busted up at the end of the fight. He'll need time off. But who is next? Kelvin Gastelum and Chris Weidman are the names highlighted at the top of the division. Gastelum has been more active, but Weidman's last win was against Gastelum.

The UFC can chose either man and be well off, but Weidman is the call. He's a bit older, and the window to make the fight is a lot smaller than making the Gastelum bout. And given his history and win over Gastelum, Weidman's claim is just a touch stronger.