4 storylines to watch at UFC 256

Deiveson Figueiredo will defend his flyweight title against Brandon Moreno in Saturday's UFC 256 main event in Las Vegas.

Here are four key storylines heading into the pay-per-view event.

Figueiredo, Moreno set to make history

Figueiredo beat Alex Perez in the opening round of his first title defense at UFC 255 in November. Hours earlier, Moreno finished Brandon Royval in the featured prelim, which was widely considered a No. 1 contender bout.

The next day, Petr Yan fell out of his bantamweight title defense against Aljamain Sterling and the UFC needed a new main event for its Dec. 12 pay-per-view.

Figueiredo and Moreno stepped up to the plate. In fact, the former agreed to his second title defense before leaving the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, where he submitted Perez. This will be the quickest turnaround for a champion or challenger in a UFC title fight at 21 days.

There are far more pros than cons for both competitors to accepting the fight on short notice. Neither took much damage at UFC 255, so they should be fresh this weekend.

Figueiredo's weight cut might also be easier than usual because of the little amount of time off between fights. The same goes for Moreno, even though he isn't known to have a difficult cut.

This is also a chance for Figueiredo or Moreno to shine. After three main events fell through for Dec. 12, the flyweights saved the day. Everyone, especially UFC president Dana White, loves when fighters step up on short notice.

Figueiredo is quietly emerging as a potential star. If he can notch another title defense in record time, the Brazilian will start getting recognized more and more. Meanwhile, Moreno has a chance to dethrone Figueiredo and build off his momentum from UFC 255.

How will Ferguson look in his return?

There are many question marks heading into Tony Ferguson's return to the Octagon.

The former interim lightweight champion is set to compete for the first time since his loss to Justin Gaethje in May. "El Cucuy" meets fellow top contender Charles Oliveira in the co-headliner.

Ferguson's loss to Gaethje snapped a 12-fight winning streak and marked his first setback since 2012. The 36-year-old took a beating against Gaethje, who captured the interim title with the victory. At Ferguson's age, it's the kind of loss that can put a fighter on a downward trajectory for the remainder of their career.

We'll learn a lot about the state of Ferguson's career in this crossroads fight against Oliveira. Ferguson could prove he's still an elite lightweight and go on to secure a title shot in 2021. But Oliveira is hot at the moment, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the jiu-jitsu ace pull off the upset against a fighter who might be past his prime.

Is this Gane's breakthrough moment?

Ciryl Gane can cement himself among the heavyweight division's elite at UFC 256.

The Frenchman was widely considered a top prospect even before signing with the UFC in 2019 after only three professional bouts. Sixteen months later, he's won three straight in the Octagon and has reached No. 14 in the heavyweight rankings.

Gane has shown all the signs of a future contender, but he hasn't proven himself against a big name. That changes Saturday when he faces former champion Junior dos Santos in the main-card opener.

Dos Santos is on a downward trajectory. He's lost three in a row by knockout but is still a tougher matchup than most of the names in the bottom half of the division's standings. Gane, who's had six pro fights compared to Dos Santos' 29, will have his work cut out for him.

If the 30-year-old can get past Dos Santos - who's only lost to top heavyweights like Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes in recent years - then there's no doubt he's a contender to watch.

Can Souza still contend in the middleweight division?

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza is headed back down to 185 pounds for the first time since April 2019.

The longtime contender moved up to the light heavyweight division in his last bout and lost to current champion Jan Blachowicz via split decision. Souza is riding a two-fight skid and hasn't won since knocking out Chris Weidman in November 2018.

Souza, 41, is set to face rising middleweight Kevin Holland, and he needs a win if he wants to re-establish his position among the division's elite.

The jiu-jitsu practitioner still seems to have the tools to contend, but he may be too far past his prime to make another run in the division. It's impossible to say for sure, though, because Souza has been relatively inactive and has only lost to top contenders Blachowicz and Jack Hermansson recently. We'll find out exactly where he's at when he faces Holland on the main card.