Saturday night, at UFC 148, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva defended his title for the tenth consecutive time by finishing rival Chael Sonnen via second-round TKO. Like in the first fight, Silva was in trouble early after being dominated by the challenger, but Silva found a way to turn the tide when he landed a beautiful placed knee to the sternum of Sonnen before landing the finishing barrage of punches.

Now that Silva has successfully defended his title yet again, mixed martial arts fans have to ask themselves — what is next for the greatest fighter of all-time other than a nice Brazilian barbecue with the gangster from West Linn, Oregon?

Silva has run through most of his competition at 185-pounds, but there remain a handful of competitors that could be a test for the world champ. Before anyone asks, no, Chael Sonnen will not be an option anytime in the near future. Here are some of the intriguing matchups left for Silva in his career.

Winner of Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman: Like Sonnen, both Munoz and Weidman are the type of guys with an incredible wrestling pedigree. They would be a threat to get Silva on his back and control the fight a la Chael. Munoz would be the more likely option to upset Silva due to his devastating ground-and-pound, but would Silva agree to fight a guy who he has trained with at Black House? That would be interesting to see.

Weidman is an up-and-comer in the division, so he would need some more time before being given a shot at Silva. He has defeated already defeated Demian Maia, but would a victory over Munoz be enough to warrant a shot after only nine professional fights?

Michael Bisping: Michael Bisping has never fought for the title, despite being one of the UFC’s most notable and biggest stars. Bisping was on his way to a title shot before a controversial loss to Sonnen, but he should still be in the mix for a championship challenge. If Bisping gets through his next opponent, whoever that may be, he deserves a shot at the title.

If we’ve learned anything from Sonnen, some good trash talk goes a long way in selling a fight and Bisping would provide us with some classic quotes that would be sure to fire up the champ.

Hector Lombard: Lombard is a UFC newcomer, but he has been on the scene for a long time. At 31-2-1, with 1 no contest, Lombard has not lost a fight since 2006. Lombard faces off against Tim Boetsch at UFC 149 and a win sets him up to be one fight away from the title. Perhaps a Lombard-Bisping match-up to determine the next contender for Silva’s title could be worked out.

Jon Jones: This is a fight that should only be made if it is Silva’s retirement fight. The UFC wins either way with this one. If Silva were to win, he just puts another feather in his cap and builds his legacy as the best fighter to ever live. If Jon Jones comes out on top, it elevates him to a whole new level and signals a passing of the guard in mixed martial arts.

A loss to Silva would not diminish Jones’ legacy, either. It would merely be a speed bump for a young, growing fighter. Jones would still have plenty of time to come back from the loss and work his way back to the top. For Silva, losing to Jones would just be viewed as a loss to by a declining fighter to a young, hungry lion. No guy loses much in this bout, but the fans win and get an incredible show and perhaps the biggest fight in the history of the sport.

Unfortunately, neither guy seems to be interested in taking this fight.

Rashad Evans: In the past, Evans has stated some interest in a potential move down to 185-pounds. The former light-heavyweight champion is one of the better boxers Silva would have faced and he provides the speed and strength to give “The Spider” a tough challenge — let’s also remember his superb wrestling.

This isn’t only a match that would be fun for the fans, but Evans has expressed his own interest in the bout. Whether it be 185 or 205-pounds, this is a fight that should happen. Evans has a few years left in his impressive career and he could make a solid run at middleweight.

Of course, Silva could jump up to 205 and take on Evans, with a win setting him up for a run at the light-heavyweight title before his Hall of Fame career comes to a close.

What opponent would you like to see Silva face-off against next? Be sure to let your opinion known in the comments section and feel free to name anyone you feel may have been left out.