What will the bantamweight division look like when UFC returns?

The UFC has been forced to suspend all events indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With that in mind, let's look at some key storylines in the promotion's bantamweight division and explore how they might play out once operations resume.

Will Cejudo-Aldo be rescheduled?

There are some matchups the UFC will just have to rebook once events are back on, but Henry Cejudo versus Jose Aldo isn't one of them.

The bantamweight title fight isn't favorable among fans, as many of them believe Aldo didn't deserve a title shot in the first place. After all, the former featherweight champ is 0-1 in the division. Plus, there are several more deserving contenders waiting for a crack at Cejudo, including Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan, and Cory Sandhagen.

But UFC president Dana White was on board with the Cejudo-Aldo matchup - likely because the Brazilian is a bigger name than the aforementioned three fighters and because the bout was set to headline UFC 250 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Aldo happens to be a major star in the country.

It seems like whether or not the UFC moves forward with Cejudo-Aldo will come down to the location of the pay-per-view card. If it ends up in the United States or on the private island White said he's securing, I'm not sure the UFC will still see the same benefit in having Aldo fight for the belt.

However, if the promotion waits to resume operations until it can hold events in other countries - and therefore the card lands back in Sao Paulo - I'd expect Cejudo-Aldo to get rescheduled. The impact of Aldo competing in his home country will still be huge; the pandemic won't change that.

Who really deserves the title shot, though?

This is a two-man race between Sterling and Yan.

Six months ago, I probably would've said Sterling in a heartbeat. It feels like he should've gotten his shot already, especially after his win over Pedro Munhoz last June. That seemed like a No. 1 contender bout.

But momentum is a real thing, and "Funk Master" has lost quite a bit of it since that fight, as he's been sidelined with an injury. If you don't fight, you'll be forgotten about. Yan, meanwhile, picked up a solid win over Jimmie Rivera at the same event and most recently finished UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber in December.

It's tough to ignore what Yan has done, and every time he steps into the Octagon, he seems to move further away from Sterling in the title chase. "No Mercy" was scheduled to face ex-title challenger Marlon Moraes in a UFC main event in June before the card was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. A win there almost certainly would've locked in the next title shot for Yan.

Still, you also can't forget about Sterling's four-fight winning streak, and that's what makes it so difficult to choose. I think I'd still learn toward Sterling, but whether it's him or Yan, you really can't go wrong for Cejudo's first title defense.

Which fighter does the hiatus hurt most?

I'd probably say Aldo, since there are no guarantees he'll still get the next title shot.

After Aldo lost a split decision to Moraes in December, Cejudo called him out, the ex-champ was obviously down to fight, and the promotion was open to the idea, too. Aldo basically struck gold, because no fighter should ever get a title shot without first recording a single win in the division.

But that gold could easily be taken away if UFC 250 no longer goes down in Sao Paulo.

White made it clear last week that he wants to resume operations as soon as possible. Taking "Fight Island" out of the equation for now - since I'm not going to believe in that until I see it - I think it'd be easier for the UFC to make an earlier return in the U.S. than in Brazil.

If the UFC does figure out a way to resume operations in the U.S. before global travel restrictions are lifted - and if Aldo can't get into the country - the promotion likely won't waste any time finding a replacement to challenge Cejudo for the title.

What's one fight you'd like to see booked?

Cody Garbrandt versus Rob Font would be a lot of fun.

Garbrandt, a former UFC bantamweight champion, was paired with Raphael Assuncao for a bout in March before he was forced out of the contest due to kidney issues. That fight didn't make much sense to me anyway, as "No Love" has lost three straight bouts and badly needs to bounce back. Meanwhile, Assuncao is a longtime contender in the division and not an easy opponent for anyone.

The Font matchup seems like a better option since it would definitely be winnable for Garbrandt. Plus, both men hit hard and generally produce action-packed fights, so it would surely be entertaining.

On the flip side, a win for Font would be massive for his career and add his name to the short list of title contenders. Of course, that would probably close the door on Garbrandt - once considered a future star - ever being a contender again, but at that point, it's not like the UFC didn't try to give him a rebound win.

Who's a rising fighter to watch?

Marlon Vera.

"Chito" has been a UFC fighter since 2014, but the 27-year-old only recently started to come into his own. Vera is now riding a (fairly quiet) five-fight winning streak and recently cracked the 135-pound rankings, currently sitting at No. 14.

Vera had already shown flashes of potential in his Octagon debut at UFC 180, but moving with his family to California from his native Ecuador to train at Team Oyama really allowed him to put everything together in recent years. He's continued to improve his grappling, and his striking game has become pretty respectable. Vera's managed to stay active in the cage, which has helped him grow as a fighter.

I don't know if Vera is necessarily a future UFC champion, but I wouldn't be surprised if he continues rising up the ranks and jumps into the top five relatively soon.