Silva, currently ranked No. 1, may be next up for a title shot against current champ Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso, currently ranked No. 3, is on a two-fight skid, which includes a title loss in a trilogy against Shevchenko and a loss to Silva. Between the two, Namajunas believes Grasso is a better matchup.

Namajunas lost a points decision to Erin Blanchfield in her last outing in November, describing it as hitting a "speed bump" and has also been beaten by title contender Manon Fiorot. The Milwaukee native, who is 13-7 overall in her MMA career, says her goal is to earn a title shot.

Merab Dvalishvili is becoming the kind of problem for the bantamweight division that there is currently no answers for. At 34, the proud native of Georgia continues to make his claim for both inclusion in the conversation of pound-for-pound best in the sport and the increasing likelihood that he one day finishes his 135-pound title reign as the best bantamweight in the sport's history.

Former champs Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas and Cody Garbrandt went 2-1 at UFC Atlanta, setting them down varying paths forward.