3 storylines to watch at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov

The UFC is bringing out the big guns for its first event in Las Vegas in 2021, as heavyweight contenders Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov are set to square off in Saturday's headliner.

Here are three key storylines heading into the card.

Could this be it for Overeem?

It's no secret Overeem is nearing the end of the road. "The Demolition Man" has openly admitted that retirement is not too far off in the distance, and he's dubbed the latest chapter of his career "one final run."

It's virtually a guarantee that Overeem will continue fighting if he upsets Volkov, because he wants to win the UFC heavyweight title. It's the one accolade missing from his decorated resume, and becoming the champion is the 40-year-old's only goal at this point in his 22-year career. With a victory over Volkov, Overeem would likely be one win away from a title shot, so there's no way he could stop there.

At the same time, it may very well take one more loss for Overeem - who's a slight underdog to Volkov - to realize his time has come. There's no chance he gets a title shot anytime soon if he loses to Volkov. Stipe Miocic is scheduled to defend the title against Francis Ngannou in March, and then former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will enter the conversation later in 2021.

Overeem is on borrowed time even if he beats Volkov, and it's safe to say he will be at the bottom of the pecking order if he comes up short. Given he's still competing only in pursuit of the title, it's a serious possibility Overeem will hang up his gloves on Saturday - or soon after - depending on how the pivotal clash with Volkov unfolds.

Is Edgar suited for another title run?

Frankie Edgar is on yet another quest for UFC gold, but he'll have to get past a tough opponent in Cory Sandhagen if he wants to accomplish his mission.

The former lightweight champion and featherweight contender could make history if he's victorious in Saturday's co-main event by becoming the first fighter to receive a UFC title shot in three divisions. Edgar is ranked No. 4 after debuting at bantamweight last year and Sandhagen sits at No. 2, so a title shot is probably next for the winner.

However, Edgar will have to pull off somewhat of a miracle to beat Sandhagen and then win the bantamweight title.

At 39 years old, Edgar is past his prime. Most media members who recorded their scores on MMADecisions.com thought Pedro Munhoz beat him last summer, so he might be lucky to be in this position. On paper, it doesn't seem likely he'll beat Sandhagen, never mind the winner of Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling.

The betting odds reflect that. Edgar is a 4-1 underdog versus Sandhagen, who's 11 years his junior and constantly improving. Sandhagen's unorthodox striking style and knockout power make for a tough outing for anybody at 135 pounds. Just watch his violent finish of Marlon Moraes back in October:

At the same time, you can never count out Edgar entirely. "The Answer" is one of the grittiest fighters in the sport, and his career longevity is absurd. He won the lightweight title in 2010, challenged for featherweight gold three times from 2013 to 2019, and now is a top bantamweight 11 years after initially reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

This isn't the first time Edgar has been the underdog, and he's risen to the occasion before. Though his title chances seem slim, maybe he can shock the world again.

What's at stake for Ferreira and Dariush?

Two top-15 lightweights are set to collide in the main-card opener, as Diego Ferreira takes on Beneil Dariush in a pivotal rematch from their 2014 bout, which the latter won by unanimous decision.

The lightweight title picture is crowded. Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler, and Justin Gaethje are all in the title mix. And though Ferreira and Dariush - ranked No. 10 and 13, respectively - are both underrated, there's likely room for only one of them at the top of the division. This fight will decide who's ready to face a top-five opponent and possibly make a run.

For Dariush, this is a chance to finally return to where he used to be. He cracked the top five with a 2015 win over Michael Johnson, but he only fell down the ladder from there. He rebounded in recent years with a five-fight winning streak, but he hasn't quite made it back to contention.

On the flip side, Ferreira has probably wanted this rematch since they met in 2014, and now he has a chance to avenge one of his two career losses. Redemption is an opportunity few fighters get, so the Brazilian must make the most of it.