3 storylines to watch at UFC 292

UFC 292 - and Sean O'Malley's opportunity to become a champion - is upon us.

In Saturday's main event, bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling defends his title for the fourth time against O'Malley. In the co-headliner, Zhang Weili returns as strawweight champ to face Amanda Lemos.

Here are three key storylines heading into the UFC's return to Boston.

Sterling-O'Malley will have big impact on the bantamweight (and featherweight?) landscape

Sterling's days at 135 pounds have been numbered for a while. And it appears he'll start a new chapter this weekend: Sterling said on "The MMA Hour" earlier this week that there's a "99%" chance UFC 292 will be his last fight before moving up to featherweight. He cuts a lot of weight to make the bantamweight limit, and he wants to give his teammate and friend Merab Dvalishvili - who's currently the top-ranked contender in the bantamweight division - a shot at becoming champion.

In a way, the fact that Sterling is set on leaving the division after he faces O'Malley - win or lose - makes the UFC 292 main event feel a bit unimportant. But at the same time, under these circumstances, the result between Sterling and O'Malley is arguably even more crucial - it will have a significant impact on the landscape at 135 pounds, and maybe even 145 pounds, over the coming months.

Sterling hinted that he may call out UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski on Saturday night if he beats O'Malley. Not long ago, when Volkanovski seemed to be the front-runner to face lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in an October rematch, a fight between Volkanovski and Sterling was a bit far-fetched. But now, with Charles Oliveira set to fight Makhachev instead and Volkanovski waiting to book his next title defense, Sterling could leapfrog the rest of the division. Ilia Topuria has the best case for a crack at Volkanovski among the featherweight contenders, but the UFC could give him one more fight before a title shot in favor of Sterling.

If Sterling wins and leaves the 135-pound division, it would leave the title bout vacant. Dvalishvili, who has won nine in a row including dominant victories over former UFC champions Petr Yan and Jose Aldo, has to be one of the two fighters involved. The other side of the fight is up in the air. It should be Cory Sandhagen, but UFC president Dana White won't rush to give him a title shot after his lackluster - but still strong - win over Rob Font on Aug. 5. If O'Malley is competitive with Sterling, then it could be him. After all, O'Malley may be the biggest name in the division.

If O'Malley beats Sterling, his first title defense against Dvalishvili would make the most sense. And Sterling would likely be relegated to making his featherweight debut against a top-10 contender, someone like Brian Ortega or Arnold Allen. (Of course, Sterling may end up staying at 135 pounds if he loses and try to get revenge against O'Malley, but we'll cross that bridge if we get there.)

An O'Malley victory could also begin his rise as one of the biggest stars in the UFC. He was one of the most-talked-about prospects when he came into the promotion following a standout performance on Dana White's Contender Series in 2017. He had that it-factor from the very beginning, as his rainbow hair, unique tattoos, and brash personality caught everyone's attention.

While he didn't impress in the UFC right away, O'Malley's recent incline is noticeable. If he proves himself as the best bantamweight in the world at UFC 292, the 28-year-old could take his "Sugar" show to a whole new level of superstardom.

Zhang has a difficult road ahead

After Amanda Nunes retired in June, Zhang has a real argument for being the best women's fighter on the planet at the moment. But it will still take an immense effort to keep the strawweight belt around her waist over the next couple of years.

Zhang is defending the 115-pound throne for the first time since her second reign began last November. Though the UFC gave Lemos the next title shot, many would argue there are at least two tougher challenges for Zhang.

Yan Xiaonan looked much-improved in a first-round knockout win over former champ Jessica Andrade in May, and Tatiana Suarez earned an impressive second-round submission of Andrade earlier in August. Suarez, especially, stands to give Zhang a tough test. She's been considered a future champ for years. And if MMA math means anything at all, Andrade - who lost to Zhang back in 2019 - actually beat Lemos by first-round submission just last year.

Zhang brings more power and strength to the table of late, making her look like a new fighter - evident in stoppage wins over former titleholders Carla Esparza and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. This fight with Lemos is her chance to stronghold the division, to show everyone she's the queen of the strawweights and she's here to stay. And it would be no surprise if a fighter as talented and dedicated as Zhang remains the champ for a while.

But, at the same time, Lemos is just one athlete on a long list of fighters waiting for a crack at her title. The Chinese fighter has her work cut out for her.

How will Weidman perform in his comeback?

It's been 28 months since former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in UFC history - a broken leg in a fight against Uriah Hall.

There was a lot of doubt about whether Weidman would ever fight again, especially since he's pushing 40 years old. But, relatively early into his recovery, he was adamant that he would eventually make a comeback.

And here he is, set to face Brad Tavares in the featured preliminary bout at UFC 292.

Weidman's longtime coach Ray Longo told CBS Sports recently he's nervous about the fight, simply because it's impossible to know how Weidman's leg will hold up until he gets in the Octagon. Weidman has used it to kick in training, but Longo said he's avoided shin-to-shin contact.

Weidman has lofty goals now that he's back: He is confident UFC 292 will mark the beginning of another title run. He was in the twilight of his career at the time of the injury, having won two of his last eight bouts, so that's not super likely. Still, the fact that Weidman made it back to the UFC at all after such a horrific injury is inspirational.