Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

Last weekend's UFC 82 saw Anderson Silva solidify his hold on the middleweight crown, Andrei Arlovski and Josh Koscheck fight the last bout on their contracts and Brock Lesnar's next opponent announced. The card answered some questions, and raised a few others. Here are five of the biggest:

Q: What's next for Anderson Silva?
A: It seems he's conquered everything the UFC could possibly throw at him, but Dana White and company are always on the lookout for something interesting.

Silva's most likely matchup is with the last man who emerged from a match with a win against him, Yushin Okami. That January 2006 match at a Hawaiian Rumble on the Rock event had a bizarre ending, however, as Silva was disqualified for an illegal kick. Okami had used a single leg takedown to put Silva on his back.  Okami postured up in Silva's guard, and Silva used an upkick that knocked Okami silly. Because kicks to a downed opponent were illegal and Okami's knees were clearly on the mat, Silva was DQ'd. It is the Spider's only loss in his last 10 bouts, and it would easy for the UFC to hype the match based on the revenge factor.

What other options are there? Silva can move up to 205 to face Rampage Jackson, but that match couldn't take place for months as Jackson has a July date with Forrest Griffin. Chuck Liddell is without an opponent after Shogun Rua tore his ACL, and wouldn't that be a fun fight? Fun? Yes, but realistic? Not likely. He could move down to face the Georges St. Pierre-Matt Serra winner, but White has basically promised a title shot to Jon Fitch. In addition, it might be difficult for Silva to make the 170-pound weight limit, even though he briefly mentioned the ideal after the fight. Or the UFC could put together a non-title catchweight fight so no titles are at stake.

Silva also voiced a desire to fight an 185-pound boxer to show off his technical prowess. Because of the weight class differential, he'd have to fight a light-heavyweight (175-pound limit). Bernard Hopkins, anyone?

So many possibilities, but most of them are a trip to fantasy-land. The most likely option remains Okami.

Q: Will Andrei Arlovski be re-signed?
A: Gut feeling? Yes. Both Dana White and Arlovski's camp seemed very genuine in stating they hope their relationship continues. White went so far as to admit he's made mistakes in the way he's treated Arlovski. Of course, Arlovski is an extremely popular fighter and a marketable commodity, so with Elite XC getting a CBS deal, it seems obvious that they'd make a play at him as a headline draw. You need star power to draw big ratings on network TV, and Kimbo Slice can't do it all by himself. So Arlovski couldn't have picked a better time to become a free agent.

Still, the opportunities afforded by an affiliation with UFC may help make his decision. They have a slick marketing machine that can't be built in a day. They are considered the big league of American MMA, and major advertisers are starting to come their way. And of course, they have a history of success that other organizations can't boast of.

Five months ago, M-1 Global announced their entry into the worldwide MMA market when they signed Fedor Emelianenko, but they've yet to officially promote a show, and CEO Monte Cox recently told CBSSports.com that for a time, the promotion and Fedor both considered parting ways. Matt Lindland signed an exclusive three-fight deal with BodogFight last year but recently told MMAWeekly.com that he hasn't made any money or been offered a match since his April '07 fight with Emelianenko. The point? Even when the money sounds good, there's a lot of risk out there.

Video   Fitch on UFC 82 and future Welterweight contender on making a name for himself in the UFC NBC Sports

Q: Is Jon Fitch really ready for a welterweight title shot?
A: In a word, yes. Fitch tied a UFC record when he beat Chris Wilson to earn his eighth straight octagon victory, and he has one of the longest streaks in MMA with 15 straight wins.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that because he didn't finish Chris Wilson, he'll be unable to hang with the top dogs.

UFC President Dana White compared Fitch's fighting spirit to that of Chuck Liddell, saying that the former Purdue wrestler is the type to always want to fight the best man available. Surprisingly, even in a sport full of tough guys, that is not always the case.

Fitch is a cerebral fighter that keeps detailed log books of all his opponents, and has absolute opinions on Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre.

"I've been scouting people since no one knew who the heck I was," Fitch said following his record-tying win. "I have mental notes, written notes, all kinds of notes. No matter who I'm told I have to fight next, I have my training camp already planned out."

Q: Did Heath Herring's win re-ignite his career?
A: Possibly. Spend a few minutes with Herring and you can understand why the UFC is interested in promoting him. He has a Texas-sized personality, big punching power and is always willing to brawl and ratchet up the entertainment factor. Herring noted before the fight that he'd dedicated himself to his diet and conditioning, and it showed up in his third-round performance when he likely stole the decision from Cheick Kongo.

That said, Herring was taken down repeatedly by Kongo, who is mostly known as a kickboxer, and he noted he hadn't spent a single day doing any ground training. If he can fully round out his training, he'll be a more dangerous fighter.

Guts have never been a problem, either, as he's always been willing to fight anyone. Look at his resume, he's fought Vitor Belfort, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (three times), Mirko Cro Cop, and Fedor Emelianenko. But it's almost do-or-die time for Herring; he simply has to beat a top-level guy. He had a shot when he nearly beat Nogueira last July, but ended up losing a decision. If he had the stamina he showed last night, it might've been a different story. Herring said it was that very possibility that pushed him into changing his fight preparation. If it's a lasting change, he will be a threat.

Q: Who gained the most from UFC 82?
A: Josh Koscheck was on the last fight of his current deal and finished a tough Dustin Hazelett with a left high kick. Koscheck has been working hard to round out his game and shed his reputation as a "blanket," MMA-speak for a wrestler who relies on that discipline to control the fight for three rounds and earn a conservative decision win. At 30 years old, he should be nearing his prime and is among the UFC's top five welterweights. He's voiced a desire to stay in UFC, but with a recognizable name, will likely draw interest from elsewhere as well.

"For me, I've only been in the sport for three years, so I'm relatively new to the sport," he said after his win. "I'm still learning striking and jiu-jitsu. I've only had wrestling for most of my life, so I've wanted to show my stand-up. This is the evolving Josh Koscheck, and I want the fans to take notice."

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