The UFC heads to Miami, Florida for a stacked UFC 327 card that features the best of the promotion’s light heavyweight division on what should be an explosive night of fights at the Kaseya Center.

Headlining the show is a battle for the vacant undisputed light heavyweight title as former champion Jiri Prochazka takes on surging contender Carlos Ulberg, while a host of well-matched bouts provide an action-packed warm-up to what could be one of the most exciting cards of the year so far.

Ahead of fight night, we take a look at the fight card and pick out three key questions that we’ll get answers to as the action unfolds.

Who will take over “Poatan’s” mantle at 205?

The light heavyweight division takes center stage on Saturday night, with the main event set to crown a new champion for the division as Jiri Prochazka takes on Carlos Ulberg for the vacant strap.

The fight offers a fascinating contrast in styles. Both men love to stand and strike, but they do so in very different ways – Ulberg fights from a more traditional kickboxing base, while Prochazka’s unique style offers a big challenge for whoever he faces. It should add up to a cracker of a matchup. But who will emerge with the win?

Prochazka undoubtedly has the edge when it comes to the top-tier experience. He’s a former UFC and RIZIN FF champion, and he’s shared the cage with the best in the world during his career. Ulberg, meanwhile, is a newcomer to the light heavyweight top table, and as such is a little more of an unknown quantity against the very best in the business. His resume, and highlight reel, suggests he has the skills to compete, but does he have the full package needed to get past someone as dangerous as Pereira?

Both men possess legitimate one-shot knockout power in MMA gloves, and either man can shut out the other’s lights in an instant. It provides the sort of edge-of-the-seat peril that will make their main event matchup must-see TV.

Who will push themselves to the front of the light heavyweight queue?

As well as the title fight in the main event, the fight card features two more important bouts at 205 pounds that could potentially produce a future title challenge for whoever emerges from Saturday night with the belt.

Earlier in the night, former title challenger Dominick Reyes takes on Johnny Walker as he looks to bounce back from his knockout loss to Ulberg last time out. Prior to that defeat, “The Devastator” was on a tear, and looking back to his very best as he began to push his claims for a title shot.

He’ll take on Walker, who remains one of the division’s biggest wild cards. On his day, he has the power to defeat just about anyone, but his erratic form and inconsistent performances have detracted from his obvious finishing ability. A big win over Reyes could mark a new chapter for the Brazilian as a legitimate title threat at 205 pounds.

But they’re not the only light heavyweight fight with possible title contendership in the mix. The co-main event features undefeated Russian contender Azamat Murzakanov, who will look to extend his perfect professional record to 17-0 with victory over former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa, who is moving up to 205 pounds in a bid to earn a title shot in a new weight class.

If Murzakanov gets himself a big finish, he’s likely to find himself in pole position for a title shot later this year, but with Costa, Reyes and Walker all looking to stake their own claims, expect fireworks from both matchups on Saturday night.

Which former Bellator star can push themselves towards featherweight contention?

The night’s featured prelim offers a fascinating battle between two of the biggest names to join the UFC from the now-defunct Bellator promotion, as Patricio Pitbull takes on Aaron Pico in a featherweight matchup.

Put simply, Pitbull was the king of Bellator. The highest-rated champion in the promotion, the Brazilian captured Bellator titles at 145 and 155 pounds, and even had a tilt at the 135-pound belt, during his stellar career with the promotion. But his UFC career has yet to really get off the ground after a lackluster debut, and a solid, if unspectacular win in his next bout.

Now he’ll face Pico, who during his Bellator days was considered the hottest prospect in MMA. The former collegiate wrestling standout has excellent striking, but has shown fallibility in his punch resistance, with some key defeats pumping the brakes on his route to the top.

Pico looked to be heading towards a possible title shot in the UFC before being starched by Lerone Murphy, and now he’s looking to bounce back. But when Pitbull is on form, he’s a match for just about anyone on the planet at 145 pounds, and he has the sort of punch power to send Pico back to the shadow realm again.

It’s a huge matchup for both men. Does Pitbull still have it? Can Pico tidy up his defense and defeat a legend to move back towards the featherweight elite? It should be one of the most intriguing bouts on the card.

UFC 327: Official fight card

MAIN CARD

• Jiri Prochazka vs Carlos Ulberg – for vacant light heavyweight title
• Azamat Murzakanov vs Paulo Costa – light heavyweight
• Curtis Blaydes vs Josh Hokit – heavyweight
• Dominick Reyes vs Johnny Walker – light heavyweight
• Cub Swanson vs Nate Landwehr – featherweight

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Patricio Pitbull vs Aaron Pico – featherweight
• Kevin Holland vs Randy Brown – welterweight
• Mateusz Gamrot vs Esteban Ribovics – lightweight
• Tatiana Suarez vs Loopy Godinez – women’s strawweight
• Marquel Medeiros vs Chris Padilla – lightweight
• Kelvin Gastelum vs Vicente Luque – middleweight
• Charles Radtke vs Francisco Prado – welterweight