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On the heels of the most unique year in UFC history, which included dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and the memorable use of "Fight Island," 2021 promises to be unpredictable in its own ways. Things are already shaping up for a huge year with the Octagon return of Conor McGregor, the promotion returning to network television and a superfight between middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz.

While we don't know exactly how things will play out over the coming year, the CBS Sports experts sat down to give our answers to some of the burning questions before the 2021 UFC calendar gets underway. Read on to see our thoughts on how the year will play out for some of the biggest stars in the sport.

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Let's dive right in now to the questions and predictions from "Morning Kombat" hosts Brian Campbell and Luke Thomas as well as staff writer Brent Brookhouse. 

Which champion will be the first to fall?

Brian Campbell: Alexander Volkanovski

The main hook here is that Volkanovski's next title defense against Brian Ortega is likely to be scheduled for February, which comes before Israel Adesanya gets the chance to add Jan Blachowicz's light heavyweight title to his growing legend. Volkanovski-Ortega is one of the best fights stylistically that UFC could produce in 2021 given the technical prowess of both. But it's one a recharged Ortega very much could win if his surgical dismantling of Chan Sung Jung was any indication. 

Brent Brookhouse, Luke Thomas: Jan Blachowicz

Dominick Reyes and Corey Anderson are fine fighters, but they're not elite level talents like Israel Adesanya. For Adesanya to have taken the fight for March, he has to have seen holes he believes he can exploit in Blachowicz's game. This is obviously a fight with massive risk for Adesanya given Blachowicz's power is no joke for even large 205-pound fighters. But Blachowicz will come up short after being picked apart by the superior technical striking of the middleweight king. -- Brookhouse

Jan Blachowicz has his work cut out for him. Adesanya is moving up a weight class to fight him, but has fought at much heavier weights in other striking combat sports. More to the point, Adesanya is arguably the best striker in the UFC irrespective of weight class. Blachowicz is criminally underrated, but he's up against it with Stylebender. -- Thomas

Who emerges as the next breakout star?

Campbell: Khamzat Chimaev

Not much of a stretch here to take the red-hot sensation from Russia who appears just as comfortable at welterweight as he does at 185 pounds. But the most startling element to Chimaev's breakout summer in 2020 was just how at ease he looked with the spotlight while calling out just about everyone, including Conor McGregor. Chimaev just feels prewired with the kind of intangibles needed to be the next big thing. 

Brookhouse: Jiri Prochazka 

He may or may not have the game to be UFC champion, but he does have the style to quickly become a headline attraction on Fight Night cards. He showed what he can do in erasing  Volkan Oezdemir this past July and will continue to shoot up the 205-pound rankings in 2021 while making himself a can't miss attraction.

Thomas: Kevin Holland

The two top choices are those who made big impacts in 2020. Khamzat Chimaev is a good possibility for this honor. He ran through three UFC opponents in two weight classes while barely breaking a sweat and calling out anyone and everyone he could. Still, he's unproven against truly credentialed opposition. Another option would be Kevin Holland, who nearly won Fighter of the Year on many media awards lists. He loves to talk and antagonize opposition, is a gifted striker and can compete on seemingly a moment's notice. If he can get past Derek Brunson in March, the sky's the limit.

Who takes over the lightweight throne?

Campbell, Thomas: Conor McGregor

At least for the short term, McGregor's return to power at 155 pounds isn't out of the question given the fact that the two most dangerous forces previously standing in his way -- champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and top contender Tony Ferguson -- are no longer chief power brokers of the division. McGregor will need to be at his very best to top Dustin Poirier in their January rematch, but it's a fight stylistically that plays into the Irish superstar's strength. It all comes down to whether McGregor's focus can consistently stay at the level it appeared to be in a sharp comeback win against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone to open 2020. -- Campbell

This one is really hard to say. Even if McGregor beats Poirier later this month -- by no means a given -- does he stick around the division? Does Khabib Nurmagomedov come back? It's simply too hard to tell. What works in McGregor's favor is Nurmagomedov's absence, Tony Ferguson's decline and relatively favorable matchups throughout the rest of the top end of lightweight. -- Thomas

Brookhouse: Charles Oliveira

Let's get weird. By the end of 2021, Charles Oliveira will have a run with the lightweight championship. His development has shown a toolset that makes him a handful for any lightweight in the world and the ease with which he dominated Tony Ferguson showed that he has broken through to be able to compete at the elite level. I also think he matches up well against any of the potential lightweight title contenders (Poirier, Mcgregor, Gaethje), and possibly better than any of that group matches up across the board. It's far from a guarantee, but Oliveira as lightweight champion feels like a very realistic possibility. Unless, that is, Khabib Nurmagomedov decides to stick around.

Will there be a new champ-champ in 2021?

Unanimous: Yes (Israel Adesanya)

Jan Blachowicz's meteoric rise to the light heavyweight title in 2020 was a feel-good story considering the 37-year-old's steady improvement. But Israel Adesanya is light years beyond Blachowicz from the standpoint of precision. Expect this to be the year Adesanya takes the sport hostage by controlling two divisions simultaneously while fulfilling his potential as a global superstar. -- Campbell

When 2021 closes, who is Fighter of the Year?

Campbell, Brookhouse: Israel Adesanya

"The Last Stylebender" has a case for claiming he was robbed in 2019 when a surging Jorge Masvidal stole the hearts of longtime fans. Adesanya rebounded with another strong campaign in a pair of title defenses last year. But the pins have been lined up for Adesanya to have an even bigger year in 2021 where the potential of victories over Jan Blachowicz and Robert Whittaker in a rematch are waiting (along with the possibility of a super fight against Jon Jones). -- Campbell

Thomas: Too close to call

This is truly impossible to answer, but will likely be a function of activity. Kevin Holland didn't compete at the level Deiveson Figueiredo did, but did compete routinely. If McGregor or some other figure can turn in three top-end performances or maybe even four in a calendar year, they'll take the award running away.