3 storylines to watch in Felder-Dos Anjos main event

Lightweights Paul Felder and Rafael dos Anjos will meet in Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Here are three key storylines heading into the bout.

Is this a better headliner than Makhachev-Dos Anjos?

Dos Anjos was originally scheduled to face rising contender Islam Makhachev on Saturday, but Makhachev withdrew this past Sunday due to an undisclosed injury. That would've been a fascinating bout, but Felder stepping in is definitely an upgrade.

In terms of pure action, Felder versus Dos Anjos should be more entertaining than the Makhachev matchup. Felder is one of the UFC's most exciting fighters as he always comes to scrap and has no quit. The original main event would've had a lot of grappling - which, at times, can be very fun to watch - but Felder and Dos Anjos will likely produce a stand-up war.

Additionally, the stakes are higher in the new headliner. The No. 7-ranked Felder is a bigger name than the No. 12-ranked Makhachev. Also, although Dos Anjos isn't ranked after spending four years at welterweight, the former lightweight champion remains a notable name in the sport.

How will Felder look on short notice?

Felder agreed to face Dos Anjos on five days' notice - which, well, is not much time to prepare for a fight.

That said, Felder won't come into Saturday's main event looking out of shape. He was training for a March triathlon when he got the call to fight Dos Anjos, so his cardio should be up to snuff for the five-round contest.

Felder should be fine. Though training camps are important, "The Irish Dragon" is a high-level fighter who won't look lost. And considering he didn't go through a strenuous camp, Felder could look fresher than ever.

My only concern is the limited time Felder had to cut down to the 155-pound limit. He's pretty big for lightweight standards, having previously competed at welterweight. Felder said Monday he was "well under" 180 pounds - but above 170 - when he got the call. The 36-year-old is a professional, so if he says he'll make the weight, I trust him. But I'm definitely interested to see how he looks on the scale Friday morning.

Is returning to lightweight the right move for Dos Anjos?

I'm fine with Dos Anjos trying out a return to lightweight after his stint at welterweight, but I'm hesitant about whether this is the right move for his career.

There are pros and cons to Dos Anjos competing at 155 pounds. He dealt with a size disadvantage at 170 pounds, which potentially cost him against the likes of Colby Covington and Michael Chiesa. But the 36-year-old has struggled to make the lightweight limit in the past, and I'm worried that his weight-cutting issues will come back to haunt him.

The former champ revealed in 2017 that he passed out while cutting weight before his title loss to Eddie Alvarez - a first-round TKO - in 2016. Dos Anjos had one more fight at 155 pounds after that, a decision loss to Tony Ferguson, before making the move up.

If Dos Anjos has improved his weight-cutting methods since then and he can make weight safely, then it makes sense for him to return to his former division. Lightweight is where Dos Anjos has had the most success, winning the belt in 2015. However, he's only getting older, so it's tough to say whether the return to lightweight will work out for him.