4 biggest storylines ahead of UFC 314

UFC 314 is upon us.

In Saturday's main event, Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will battle it out for the vacant featherweight title. And in the co-headliner, Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett will square off in a pivotal lightweight matchup.

Here are four key storylines ahead of the UFC's return to Kaseya Center in Miami.

Is Volkanovski still one of the best?

Between 2016 and 2023, Volkanovski strung together win after win - and then title defense after title defense - to cement himself as one of the best featherweights in UFC history. But things change quickly in MMA, and there's an enormous amount of doubt surrounding Volkanovski and his career heading into this fight against Lopes. After a 14-month layoff and back-to-back knockout losses, Volkanovski's back is up against the wall in a big way.

Volkanovski has some fair excuses for his last two losses against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight champ Ilia Topuria (the latter of whom officially relinquishes the title when the UFC 314 main event begins). There's no shame in getting knocked out by a bigger man in Makhachev. And some would argue that Volkanovski returned to the Octagon far too soon when he dropped the 145-pound crown to Topuria at UFC 298 in February 2024.

But Volkanovski has spent over a year on the sidelines, resting and spending time with his family. Now it's time to see if the 36-year-old Australian is still championship material. Saturday's main event will tell us exactly what we need to know about where Volkanovski stands and what his future looks like.

Either the all-time great is still that, or the division has passed him by.

Is Pimblett a real title contender?

Pimblett could put himself on track for a title shot starting at UFC 314.

The bleach-blond, floppy-haired Liverpool native has always had superstardom in his blood, but ascending to title contention seemed a tad out of reach when he first joined the UFC - especially with guys like Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira at the top of the division.

However, that will be Pimblett's reality if he passes the biggest test of his career this weekend - a five-round matchup against Chandler, the UFC's No. 7-ranked lightweight.

Pimblett would immediately become one of the most recognizable names in the promotion, and a No. 1 contender bout would likely come knocking later this year.

If Pimblett loses, it may be a sign that he'll never get over the hump.

Will 'Pitbull' thrive in the UFC?

At long last, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire is in the UFC.

The former Bellator two-division champion will make his highly anticipated debut this weekend in a pivotal featherweight matchup against former interim champ Yair Rodriguez.

Long considered one of the best fighters outside the UFC, Freire now has the chance to prove his worth in the premier MMA organization. It'll be fascinating to see how he does.

In his prime, Freire hangs with the best of them. His first-round knockout win against Chandler in 2019 holds up very well. The big question is whether or not Freire is too far past his peak. At 37, he's pretty old to be making his UFC debut and even older for a title run, particularly in a lighter division that favors younger talent. Freire looked rejuvenated in his last fight, a third-round TKO of former UFC fighter Jeremy Kennedy in March 2024, but he lost two in a row before that. It's not like Freire has been untouchable these last few years.

And if anyone can touch him, it's the 5-foot-11 Rodriguez, who has a 71-inch reach, sharp stand-up skills, and knockout power in all four limbs.

That's what makes this a must-watch debut.

Mitchell, Silva could steal the show

While Volkanovski-Lopes, Chandler-Pimblett, and Rodriguez-Freire have the biggest stakes, the fight that could make the biggest splash at UFC 314 is Bryce Mitchell versus Jean Silva.

Silva is one of the most promising up-and-comers in the featherweight division. He has devastating power in his hands and four straight knockout victories as proof. The Fighting Nerds product is getting the biggest test of his career against Mitchell, an elite-level grappler ranked No. 13 at 145 pounds.

The lead-up to the fight has been memorable; Mitchell and Silva were the center of attention at March's prefight press conference. Silva brought a globe to the event, poking fun at Mitchell's flat Earth conspiracy theory, and started a "f--k Bryce Mitchell" chant.

Buckle up because this one could get pretty wild.