5 of the most intriguing storylines to watch heading into UFC 264

#4 Greg Hardy's test at UFC 264

Greg Hardy fights Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264

Greg Hardy went from being one of the hottest UFC prospects to a possible bust. After a dominant run at Dana White's Contender Series, Hardy's stint at the UFC has been inconsistent at best.

That's not to say, however, that the former NFL pro-bowler has no business fighting in the UFC. His record has been marred by disqualification and a no-contest due to errors that can be chalked up as rookie mistakes. But there's no doubt that Hardy would've beaten Allen Crowder and Ben Sosoli had he been more knowledgeable of the rules.

However, Hardy has also proven himself incapable of beating ranked heavyweights. Hardy crumbled against one of the most technical heavyweight strikers in Alexander Volkov. Marcin Tybura, meanwhile, taught Hardy that you mostly live and die by the knockout punch in the heavyweight division.

At UFC 264, Greg Hardy will take on fellow heavy-hitter Tai Tuivasa. If he can display a tremendous level of improvement, Hardy might get an opportunity to fight another heavyweight in the top 15. If the former NFL pro loses at UFC 264, we might be seeing what his peak looks like.

#3 Stephen Thompson's final run

Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson returns at UFC 264

Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson has had two shots at Tyron Woodley's UFC welterweight title. He was unsuccessful both times, with the first fight ending in a draw and the second fight ending in a majority decision win for Woodley. However, either fight could have gone Thompson's way had a judge seen it differently.

After back-to-back losses to Darren Till and Anthony Pettis, however, Thompson has been forgotten as a legitimate threat to the welterweight title. But of late, 'Wonderboy' has enjoyed a resurgence with notable wins over contenders Vincente Luque and Geoff Neal. And just like that, he's back in the mix.

If Thompson prevails against former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 264, it should only be a matter of time before he gets his date with Kamaru Usman. As tremendously as Usman's striking has improved, Thompson still poses an interesting stylistic challenge to the reigning champ.

Usman has already beaten Colby Covington and Leon Edwards, two fighters currently in the title picture. But the same can't be said about 'Wonderboy,' who Usman hasn't met in the octagon yet. In that sense, 38-year-old Thompson could emerge as the most credible threat to Usman's reign of terror.