10 reasons to watch the UFC on FOX 19 card that went through all kinds of changes

Are we all set now? You sure? OK, good. Now that the wild ride leading up to UFC on FOX 19 is over, it’s time to take a look at an event that looks a lot different from the one that was originally booked.

There were a number of changes to the event, but it’s still a pretty strong card and has some fights that could have serious repercussions in several different divisions.

Headlining the Tampa event is a light heavyweight bout between top-10 competitors Rashad Evans and Glover Teixeira.

In the co-main event, top-10 women’s strawweight fighters Tecia Torres and Rose Namajunas face off in a rematch of their exciting 2013 bout.

If that’s not enough to get you interested, there’s also the return of lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, who will enter the octagon for the first time in nearly two years.

The fights should sell themselves, and as UFC President Dana White likes to remind us, it’s live and free on FOX. But if you’re still vacillating about watching, here are 10 reasons why you shouldn’t hesitate to tune in.

UFC on FOX 19 takes place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The early prelims stream on UFC Fight Pass before moving to FOX for the remainder of the event.

1. Now that the rust is removed …

Rashad Evans

Evans (19-4-1 MMA, 14-4-1 UFC) looked rusty in his unanimous decision loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 192, and perhaps with good reason: It was his first fight in almost two years. With that cage rust shaken off, UFC on FOX 19 should give us a good idea where the 36-year-old Evans, who is currently ranked No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light heavyweight rankings stands in the division.

Teixeira (24-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC), the No. 5 light heavyweight, needs a win here just as badly as Evans if he wants another sniff at the title. He’s won his last two, most recently stopping Patrick Cummins by TKO at UFC Fight Night 77.

This is a tough matchup for Evans, especially if Teixeira gets into a groove with his striking and doesn’t allow Evans to find his rhythm.

2. Run it back

Rose Namajunas

The first time Torres (7-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Namajunas (4-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) met, each of them was 2-0. Torres, currently ranked No 6 in the women’s strawweight division, earned a unanimous decision that night at Invicta FC 6 in a fight that was memorable for its pace and action.

Torres remains undefeated, while No. 10-ranked Namajunas has an additional loss, dropping the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight title fight to Carla Esparza.

Namajunas’ confidence has to be soaring heading into this fight. She’s coming off a “Performance of the Night” drubbing of Paige VanZant at UFC Fight Night 80, and she has a first-round submission win over Angela Hill, a fighter who recently went the distance with Torres. When you add the loss to Torres into the equation and the fact that a title fight could be in the offing, expect a very motivated Namajunas. Torres’ last fight was a decision win over Jocelyn Jones Lybarger.

3. The return of “The Eagle”

Khabib Nurmagomedov

After an absence of 728 days, the unbeaten Nurmagomedov (22-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) makes his return to the octagon. And just in case you forgot, his last win was a dominant unanimous decision victory over current lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.

The sport has missed this man, with his record-setting takedowns and otherworldly ground game. Nurmagomedov, ranked No. 2 in the division, has been out of the mix for a long time, so it’s going to be interesting to see what he brings into the octagon against Darrell Horcher (12-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

4. Welcome to the UFC

Darrell Horcher

At the very least, you have to give Horcher credit for saying yes to an unenviable short-notice call up to the UFC.

Not many are giving Horcher more than a puncher’s chance against Nurmagomedov, but he does have that, with six of his wins, including his last two, by knockout. Horcher’s approach to striking is ultra-confident, just slinging hands with his chin up and giving more than he takes.

Horcher can play the spoiler against Nurmagomedov, but a more likely scenario is that UFC matchmakers walk away from this fight with a decent assessment of Horcher’s talent level.

5. Adjustments needed

Cub Swanson

Cub Swanson (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) enters this featherweight contest coming off two straight submission losses while Hacran Dias (23-3-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) enters with two straight decision wins.

Swanson, ranked No. 7, has struggled with wrestlers throughout his career, and the No. 13 ranked Dias has shown some improvement in that department over his last few fights. Another thing Dias has shown is a propensity for slow starts. If he hasn’t made an adjustment there, Swanson, an aggressive and innovative striker, could end this one abruptly.

6. Please let it hit the ground

Beneil Dariush

The fight between No. 9 lightweight Beneil Dariush (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), and No. 13 Michael Chiesa (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is huge for this talent-rich division. The winner here should be able to stake a claim for a top-five opponent in his next bout.

Dariush and Chiesa are two well-rounded fighters who have slowly been climbing the rankings over the last few years, using excellent grappling skills and developing striking games. Everyone loves a good stand-up battle, but fans should hope this one hits the ground, because that’s where these two are at their most entertaining.

7. Erase that from your memory

Bethe Correia

Some will dismiss No. 13 women’s bantamweight Bethe Correia (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) as the woman who talked trash and got knocked out by Ronda Rousey, forgetting that before that loss, Correia was unbeaten in nine fights, including four in the UFC.

The last we saw of Correia she was face down on the canvas after that knockout. Correia is going to want to erase that image from everyone’s minds, including her own. To accomplish that, she’s going to have to get past Raquel Pennington (6-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), who is coming off a “Performance of the Night” submission victory over Jessica Andrade.

8. Knocking at the door

John Dodson

After losing two title fights to flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson, John Dodson (17-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) decided the time was right to head back to bantamweight, the division in which he knocked out future champion T.J. Dillashaw in 2011. With the move, Dodson’s goal remains the same: UFC gold.

Dodson didn’t get his wish to face bantamweight wunderkind Thomas Almeida in his return to 135 pounds, but he gets a tough test in veteran Manny Gamburyan (15-8 MMA, 6-6). If he defeats Gamburyan, Dodson’s message to the rest of the division is simple.

“Top 10, top five, I don’t care who it is: I’m here, mother(expletive),” Dodson told MMAjunkie.

9. Did they find a fighter?

Randy Brown

In late January, the UFC signed then-Ring of Combat welterweight champion Randy Brown (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) after he appeared on “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.”

Brown, who was unbeaten at the time and had never gone the distance in his six-fight career, battled Matt Dwyer to a unanimous decision win. Brown looked good, but he wasn’t the same fighter he’d been in his ROC days.

In his second UFC fight, Brown meets Michael Graves (5-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who is coming off a unanimous decision win over Vicente Luque. With one UFC fight under his belt, it will be worth watching how Brown performs in Tampa.

10. Potential prelim firecracker

Oluwale Bamgbose

Oluwale Bamgbose (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) may not be the biggest middleweight, but his strikes are showstoppers. He’s finished six opponents in the first round, including Daniel Sarafian in his last outing. Bamgbose’s only loss came in his UFC debut when he fought Uriah Hall on short notice, losing via first-round knockout.

At UFC on FOX 19, Bamgbose comes in on a week’s notice to face Cezar Ferreira (8-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC), who has lost his last two via first-round knockout. Short notice or not, this one could produce fireworks and give you every reason to tune into the early prelims.

For more on UFC on FOX 19, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.