UFC 212 preview: Featherweight division marches on without McGregor

For the first time in 17 months, Jose Aldo will make the walk to the Octagon as the undisputed featherweight champion.

Of course, in the UFC, the term "undisputed" doesn't exactly adhere to the standard definition. When Aldo makes that walk Saturday at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro, he'll also be carrying the burden of having never avenged the stunning 13-second KO loss to Conor McGregor that relieved him of his title on Dec. 12, 2015.

Aldo won an interim title the following summer and he assumed the secondary prize would guarantee him a shot at the real thing. Instead, McGregor went on to successfully challenge for the 155-lb belt and is chasing a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. In his absence, UFC officials stripped McGregor and elevated Aldo back to undisputed champion.

As brutal as Aldo's loss to McGregor was, it's wrong to say it completely erased his historic run at 145 pounds. Simply put, Aldo was arguably the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA during his reign atop the featherweight division from 2009-2015 (including his days as World Extreme Cagefighting champion).

A win Saturday over Max Holloway could be exactly what he needs to remind everyone of his greatness.

Related: Can Aldo wash off the stink of the McGregor loss with a win over Holloway?

On the other side of the equation is young phenom Max "Blessed" Holloway. The 25-year-old Hawaiian has won 10 straight fights and captured an interim title, but it still feels like he's only beginning to carve out his own legacy. Knocking off Aldo would be a hell of a way for Holloway to establish that he's the real deal.

And if this somehow gets him a meeting with McGregor in the future? Even better.

Related: Will Max Holloway usher in a new era for the featherweight division?

Vitor, Vidi, Vici

While there are conflicting reports on whether this is truly a farewell for Vitor Belfort given that he may have a fight left on his contract, "The Phenom" has has indicated several times that he expects this to be his last appearance in the Octagon.

If true, Belfort is ending his 20-year relationship with the UFC on his terms.

Following disappointing performances in his last three outings, "The Phenom" requested that his next fight be in his hometown against a non-Brazilian opponent. The matchmakers accommodated Belfort's wish, pairing him up with fellow MMA lifer Nate "The Great" Marquardt.

In times past, this could have been a No. 1 contender's bout, but Belfort and Marquardt are in the last legs of their careers having turned 40 and 38, respectively, in April. The skills are still there. It's the physical attributes that are no longer in tip-top shape.

If this is the end, this bout offers fans a chance to say farewell to a Brazilian icon, one of the first stars of MMA who helped it evolve into a global sport. His highlight reel includes memorable knockouts of Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Luke Rockhold, and UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping. He even has a submission win over light heavyweight contender Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.

His 12 KOs are the most in UFC history and his fight against Marquardt marks his 25th appearance for the promotion, tied for sixth on the all-time list. Though Belfort competed for PRIDE, Strikeforce, and other notable promotions, he always came home to the Octagon.

This might not be the last time we see Belfort fight, but it certainly feels like the end of an era.

Related: Belfort intends to 'keep competing' after UFC 212, but elsewhere

Chasing Joanna

Given the dominance that Joanna Jedrzejczyk has shown over her strawweight peers, it's hard not to see the rest of the division as treading water.

That's the dilemma Clauda Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz find themselves in heading into Saturday's co-main event clash. Both women have tried and failed to wrest the 115-lb title away from Jedrzejczyk and there's no guarantees a win will push them any closer to an immediate rematch.

Gadelha has already had two cracks at Jedrzejczyk, losing a close split decision to the Polish star in a non-title fight, then dropping a more definitive unanimous decision in a championship bout in July. The UFC has always been reluctant to book trilogy meetings where one side has already beaten the other twice, so even a dominant performance against Kowalkiewicz could leave Gadelha on the outside looking in.

If anything, Gadelha could be competing for the right to be considered a top contender in the 125-lb division that will be introduced after the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The 28-year-old Brazilian has competed at flyweight in the past and she's a logical fit to move up to bolster those ranks.

As for Kowalkiewicz, she's closer to a rematch than Gadelha, but other than a knockdown of Jedrzejczyk in the fourth round of their fight at UFC 205, there isn't an overwhelmingly strong reason to see these two butt heads again so soon.

Regardless of the stakes, this still promises to be a highly skilled contest between the two best strawweights in the world not named Jedrzejczyk.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)