UFC returns to Las Vegas on Saturday with a pair of title fights on the marquee at T-Mobile Arena, including Tony Ferguson looking to grab gold for the first time in his career and Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson looking to set a UFC record for most consecutive title defenses.

But just how good of a card is UFC 216 on paper? 

Let's take a look at the biggest storylines entering Saturday's event.

1. UFC 216 attempts to masquerade as a Las Vegas pay-per-view: There's no need to rub in what we already know -- this has not been a stellar year for UFC. Following a record-breaking financial run in 2016 and a much-publicized $4 billion sale, the first 10 months of 2017 have felt like a bad hangover. And while UFC 216 has a few glossy trinkets out front in an attempt to boost sales and pass off as an acceptable PPV card, it's difficult to argue that it actually is. 

The card, further dented when marketable women's flyweight Paige VanZant withdrew last week with an injury, simply isn't up to the standard of a UFC PPV card in Las Vegas. Demetrious Johnson's attempts at PPV haven't traditionally equaled big sales, which is likely why he went from headlining UFC 215 in September to a co-main slot one month later after an illness to opponent Ray Borg delayed the fight. 

The Tony Ferguson-Kevin Lee lightweight bout, meanwhile, could end up being the Fight of the Night. But it also screams more Fight Night main event than it does PPV, with the add-on of the interim title serving as a poor cover for the card's overall lack of depth or must-see buzz to a more casual audience. Suffice it to say, UFC 217 in New York can't come fast enough. 

2. Is Kevin Lee ready for this big of a leap? If "The Motown Phenom" can fight as good as he can talk, he may be a star in the making. But as things stand now, despite a five-fight win streak, Lee hasn't presented enough evidence on the elite level to confidently believe that, at age 25, he's ready to disarm such a dangerous and sadistic opponent as Ferguson. But then again, that's the kind of foundation that turns step-up fights into the virtual "moment of truth" they often become. 

Lee looked impressive in submitting Michael Chiesa in June and seemingly raised his public profile by the attention he received in attacking Chiesa at their news conference months earlier. And if there's one thing he appears to have in spades, it's poise and confidence. He'll need it against Ferguson, who rides a nine-fight win streak of destruction and is as deserving of a title shot as any fighter in UFC. Lee can't make that same claim. It won't matter so much if he gets the win, likely setting up a showdown with an even bigger talker in division champ Conor McGregor.

3. Demetrious Johnson fights for history … again: Johnson will attempt to best Anderson Silva's UFC record of 10 title defenses when he faces Borg in their 125-pound title bout. The stakes remain the same for "Mighty Mouse," one month after Borg's viral illness postponed the bout just two days ahead of UFC 215. The real question becomes whether the added time to prep helps Borg, 24, who enters as a massive underdog. Borg claims his pulling out in September had nothing to do with a hard weight cut. He did, however, fire his nutritionist in the aftermath. Either way, he'll have a steep hill to climb against the legendarily well-rounded Johnson, who enters a shot at history to much less fanfare the second time around. 

4. Derrick Lewis gets another chance at being heavyweight's next big thing: Throughout his recent six-fight win streak, "The Black Beast" had become appointment viewing for the often underwhelming heavyweight division, from his colorful interviews to his violent knack for ending fights. His TKO loss in June felt a bit like a buzzkill, however, as the lovably large Lewis succumbed to fatigue and the heavy hands of Mark Hunt in the fourth round. Considering how shallow the division remains, with champion Stipe Miocic fresh in need of marketable opponents, Lewis enters an important bout opposite Fabricio Werdum. If Lewis can finish the typically durable former champion, it would be the kind of statement to make us forget what we saw just four months ago. 

5. Tom Duquesnoy might be the one UFC prospect you need to know now: At just 24, the native of France has become a mainstay on "prospects to watch" lists over the past two years. He finally made his UFC debut in April, when the "Fire Kid" picked apart and stopped Patrick Williams in two rounds. Along with his teenage looks, Duquesnoy has a certain star quality that is difficult to describe properly. And while he'll need to continue to prove himself on the ground at the UFC level, his striking is dynamic, dangerous and fun to watch. The featherweight takes on Cody Stamann in the preliminary card main event. Overhyping prospects too soon is a dangerous game (see VanZant and Sage Northcutt), but you might want to learn to pronounce the name Duquesnoy now because there's good reason to believe this is just the beginning.