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In what feels like an oasis in the desert following a particularly damning stretch of watered down fight cards, Saturday's UFC 314 pay-per-view event has MMA fans rightfully excited.

The card, which emanates from Kaseya Center in Miami, features no shortage of standout names and matchups that scream the potential for excitement. The main event also features the return of former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski in a vacant title bout against Diego Lopes following the recent vacating of the 145-pound title by Ilia Topuria. Plus, Michael Chandler looks to bounce back from a pair of losses when he takes on the rising lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett.

As we draw closer to the much-anticipated event, let's take a closer look at the biggest storylines. 

UFC 314 -- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes: Results, winners, highlights, fight card, complete guide
Shakiel Mahjouri
UFC 314 -- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes: Results, winners, highlights, fight card, complete guide

1. Is Alexander Volkanovski still an elite fighter at 36?

For the record, the oddsmakers believe "Alexander the Great" still is, which is why he remains a small betting favorite against the upstart Lopes. That doesn't mean, however, there aren't legitimate reasons to suggest the opposite. After beginning his UFC career in 2016 with an astounding 12 consecutive victories, Volkanovski has lost three of four since 2023, including back-to-back early knockouts against Islam Makhachev and Topuria (who just so happen to be the top two fighters, pound-for-pound, in the sport today). At his peak, Volkanovski always appeared to be one step ahead of his opponents from the standpoint of gameplanning and mid-fight adjustments. That gap has closed now that Father Time has caught up with the diminutive featherweight who is likely entering his final shot at UFC gold. Volkanovski is undoubtedly more skilled than the 30-year-old Lopes, who is riding a five-fight win streak. But even though Lopes has yet to defeat a fighter on Volkanovski's level, it can be hard to beat youth, aggression, hunger and momentum when they are all paired together. 

2. Don't look now but Paddy Pimblett could be two wins away from a title shot

Pimblett, the 30-year-old native of England, has won all six of his Octagon appearances since making his UFC debut in 2021. What he hasn't done, however, is defeat an elite fighter throughout his up-and-down journey, with aging versions of Tony Ferguson and King Green over his last two bouts being the closest thing. Pimblett will be a small betting favorite when he welcomes the 38-year-old Chandler, a former title challenger who enters having lost four of his last five. Given Pimblett's popularity, and the amount of aging action stars that still populate the UFC's top 10 at 155 pounds, Pimblett may not actually end up meeting a super elite until he gets to the title if the recent trend is any indication. That's not necessarily an indictment against "Paddy the Baddy," who deserves credit for how much his game has evolved (despite fighting just twice in the past two years) since his disputed decision win over Jared Gordon in 2022. These days, Pimblett is in much better physical shape and has greatly improved his ground game. He'll need to show superior poise and an iron chin to survive the often reckless attacks of the powerful and grimy Chandler, but given the UFC's need for PPV star power at the moment, a victory could catapult Pimblett to the top of the division.

3. All eyes (for better or worse) will be on the Bryce Mitchell-Jean Silva fight

When the 30-year-old Mitchell launched the first episode of his podcast in January and ultimately went undisciplined for his deplorable comments related to Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust, UFC CEO Dana White's response that fans would get to pay to see Mitchell get his comeuppance by possibly being knocked out inside the Octagon felt shallow and gross. So did the March kickoff press conference for UFC 314 when Mitchell, who was roundly booed by fans, compared his plight with the fact that his savior, Jesus Christ, was once hated and mocked, too, for his own beliefs. But even though UFC is clearly looking to benefit from the buzz surrounding Mitchell's damaged brand, from a strictly MMA standpoint, Saturday's featherweight bout against Silva is must-see TV for fight reasons, too. Mitchell will match his gas tank and elite grappling skills against one of the sport's most exciting and vicious strikers in the 28-year-old Brazilian, who goes by the nickname "Lord." Silva has won all four of his UFC appearances by knockout, including against respected names like Charles Jourdain and Drew Dober. He is also riding a 12-fight win streak dating back to a 2018 loss on the regional scene. A product of the red-hot Fighting Nerds gym, Silva brings unhinged excitement into a matchup overflowing with drama, even if said dislike between the two is rooted in despicable behavior.  

4. Patricio Pitbull's long-awaited UFC debut is guaranteed fireworks

As the greatest fighter in Bellator MMA history, Pitbull (whose official surname is Freire) has said he is willing to fight anyone inside the Octagon between 145 and 170 pounds. UFC matchmakers really couldn't go wrong in this case considering Pitbull's 43-bout pro career has featured countless action bouts and spectacular knockouts. Yet, the choice of former interim champion Yair Rodriguez, who is riding a two-fight losing skid, might be the best choice (short of Pitbull's former Bellator rival in Chandler) that the promotion could've made. The fight is a virtual pick 'em with Rodriguez listed as a small favorite, likely due to the fact that Pitbull is 37 and considered a bit past his prime days. Still, a Pitbull win could be big enough to send him into instant title consideration at featherweight, which provides a good bit of synergy considering the division's vacant title will be up for grabs in the main event. 

5. Are we in the midst of a Dominick Reyes resurgence at 35? 

When an unbeaten Reyes fought Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title in 2020 and lost a highly disputed decision, it was assumed that the former college football standout would be the future face of the division once Jones vacated the belt shortly after. Few could have predicted, however, that Reyes had just begun a four-fight losing skid that would see him brutally stopped in successive bouts by the likes of Jan Blachowicz (for the vacant title), Jiri Prochazka and Ryan Spann. But after taking a nearly two-year break to regroup, Reyes has quietly won two straight fights, both by stoppage, and enters Saturday's title against an inactive Nikita Krylov as just a small betting underdog. Krylov's current three-fight win streak is undermined by the fact that he hasn't fought in more than two years. Not only is the 205-pound division noticeably shallow at the moment for UFC, the No. 11-ranked Reyes could make a sizable leap back into contention with a victory against his No.8-ranked foe.