By Joe Osborne

Usually a UFC event goes one of two ways: We’re left wanting more and are more pumped up after the fights than we were before they began, or you pretty much can’t wait for it to be over so you can call it a night. While the two previous UFC events were among the best I’ve ever seen, 118 didn’t exactly deliver, but you can’t expect fireworks with every event. Either way, the event’s results provided us with a little bit of a blueprint for the future of the UFC’s lightweight division. Let’s take a look at what’s next for UFC 118′s main fighters.

Frankie Edgar: Make no mistake about it – Edgar is the top lightweight fighter in the world. He took the game plan that he used in his first victory over Penn, and actually improved on it. His boxing was crisp, his movement was excellent and he did a great job of dumping BJ on his ass on several occasions. In this scenario with Edgar having two wins over Penn, people will be quicker to criticize Penn than they will to give Edgar credit. Not only is Frankie one of the world’s top fighters, but he’s also one of the smartest and hard working. Now, the biggest challenge of his career awaits as Edgar will attempt to avenge a one-sided loss to #1 contender Gray Maynard.

BJ Penn: Half way through the fight, Penn appeared to lose his mental edge. I don’t think he gave up, but it was almost like he knew he was beaten. The effort that we’ve seen in the past just wasn’t there. So what’s next for Penn? I think Penn should consider surrounding himself with a new training staff. Top level fighters like GSP and Rampage made the switch to different training camps when they realized that what they were doing to prepare just wasn’t good enough. Penn could greatly benefit from some new coaching. He didn’t appear to have much of a game plan, and his corner failed to provide him with actual coaching in-between rounds. I think the UFC should set up a fight with Takanori Gomi. Not too long ago, the two were considered the top two lightweights in the world, and it’s a fight the UFC can sell.

Randy Couture: Randy schooled James Toney in the art of the ground game. Not a big shock. I’m happy this is over with, and now we can see Randy get back to some actual competition. Randy has said that he will return to the light heavyweight division, where a number of top contenders are looking to be paired up with someone. The fight that probably makes the most sense is Randy vs. Rich Franklin. Both are fan favorites and are probably pretty closely ranked within the light heavyweight division.

James Toney: Does anyone really care where this guy ends up next? I hope no one wasted their money solely to watch this fight. Toney’s next fight, and any other fight he has will be in a boxing ring. It was pathetic that he was even allowed to compete in the UFC. When Michael Jordan decided he wanted to switch sports to play baseball, he played in the minor leagues, not the Bigs. Even Brock Lesnar had a fight in a smaller promotion before joining the UFC. This fight was a joke, and I’m happy it’s over.

Gray Maynard: Maynard kept his record perfect in another underwhelming victory. Let’s face it, some fighters just aren’t exciting. Even though he’s not the most entertaining fighter, he got the job done and flat out beat up Kenny Florian. He’s great at what he does, it’s as simple as that. The UFC will have a hard time selling Maynard vs. Edgar as the main event of a pay-per view. My suggestion would be to add another title fight to the card, and make Maynard/Edgar the co-main event.

Kenny Florian: Kenny just didn’t bring his A-game, and as a result he’s back down at the bottom of the lightweight ladder. Of the top talent in the division, who wasn’t he fought yet? I say pair him up with George Sotiropoulos

Nate Diaz: Diaz did an excellent job picking apart Marcus Davis, and so far has looked great fighting at 170 lbs. Diaz still hasn’t proven that he has what it takes to compete with top level wrestlers in the UFC. Why not throw him in there with one of the best wrestlers in the sports history – Matt Hughes. Both fighters need a step up in competition, plus the UFC can play the  youth vs. experience card. Also, the trash talk leading up to the fight would be fun.

And that’s it for UFC 118. The next few UFC cards aren’t quite as stacked as the events we’ve seen all summer, and we won’t see another title fight until late October when Brock Lesnar takes on Cain Velasquez. UFC 119 features a main event between Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop. My advice would be to save your money. A fight of that caliber should be the second or third best fight on a card, not a main event. Until next time, let me know who you’d like to see face off in the octagon and enjoy the fights!

Joe Osborne is a sports and entertainment enthusiast who resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia. To read more stories like this, visit WhatUpSports.wordpress.com, or you can follow Joe on Twitter @TheJoeOsborne.