3 fights to look forward to and 2 fights that will likely disappoint at UFC 264

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC 264: Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria

Former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner Ryan Hall will return to action after a two-year absence at UFC 264. 'The Wizard' has emerged as one of the most beloved cult heroes in MMA thanks to his breathtaking Imanari roll-heel hook combo.

Hall has strung together four consecutive wins in the UFC with a notable victory over Hall-of-Famer BJ Penn. He proved he isn't a one-trick pony in his recent fight, beating Darren Elkins via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 155.

At UFC 264, Hall will face an equally talented grappler in Ilia Topuria. The Spanish fighter went from being a short-notice replacement to a rising star in the 145-pound division with wins over Youssef Zalal and Damon Jackson in his first two outings.

Although the bout is expected to be a showdown between two Brazilian jiu-jitsu aces, the fight might not be decided on the mat. There's a possibility that Hall and Topuria might reach an uneventful deadlock at UFC 264, with both competitors having a high mastery of BJJ.

Fight to look forward to at UFC 264: Stephen Thompson vs. Gilbert Burns

Top welterweight contenders Stephen Thompson and Gilbert Burns will try to return to title contention as they square off in the co-main event of UFC 264. While Colby Covington and Leon Edwards are waiting in the wings to challenge Kamaru Usman, the winner between Thompson and Burns will likely earn a date with 'The Nigerian Nightmare' in the future.

After compiling six straight wins, Burns was given the opportunity to dethrone his former teammate Usman in February. He came close to snatching the victory when he rocked the champion early in the fight. Once Usman recovered, though, he dominated and ultimately ended the fight in round three.

Meanwhile, Thompson has had two cracks at the UFC welterweight title. Both times, however, he failed to claim gold against Tyron Woodley. He faded to the background after back-to-back losses to Darren Till and Anthony Pettis, but two straight victories over Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal put him back in a power position.

With both men in dire need of a victory at this point in their respective careers, Thompson vs. Burns should be a very competitive matchup. That said, this fight could easily be Saturday night's show-stealer.