UFC on FOX 19 staff picks: Anyone picking against Nurmagomedov after 2 years away?

	Teixeira vs. Evans	Namajunas vs. Torres	Nurmagomedov vs. Horcher	Swanson vs. Dias
MMAjunkie readers’ consensus picks 2016 picks: 35-16	Teixeira (66%)	Namajunas (71%)	Nurmagomedov (93%)	Swanson (85%)
Ben Fowlkes @BenFowlkesMMA 2016 picks: 35-16	Evans	Namajunas	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
Steven Marrocco @MMAjunkieSteven 2016 picks: 33-18	Teixeira	Namajunas	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2016 picks: 31-20	Teixeira	Torres	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
Brent Brookhouse @BrentBrookhouse 2016 picks: 30-21	Evans	Namajunas	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
Dann Stupp @DannStupp 2016 picks: 30-21 2015 Champion	Evans	Namajunas	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2016 picks: 30-21	Teixeira	Namajunas	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2016 picks: 29-22 2014 Champion	Teixeira	Torres	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2016 picks: 27-24	Evans	Namajunas	Nurmagomedov	Swanson
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2016 picks: 25-26	Evans	Namajunas	Nurmagomedov	Swanson

He’s not in the main event like he was supposed to be, and he’s not fighting in a likely title eliminator like he was supposed to be.

But Khabib Nurmagomedov (22-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will return Saturday after nearly two years away with injuries against short-notice opponent Darrell Horcher (13-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Nurmagomedov is as much as a 10-1 favorite against the lightweight UFC newcomer, and not surprisingly he’s a unanimous pick from our nine staff members at UFC on FOX 19.

The major changes to UFC on FOX 19, including a co-main event between Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson being scrapped this week, meant Cub Swanson (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) found his way to the main card for his featherweight fight against Hacran Dias (23-3-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC). Even though the oddsmakers have the fight as close to even, Swanson is a 9-0 pick to snap his two-fight losing skid.

In the new light heavyweight main event, former champ Rashad Evans (19-4-1 MMA, 14-4-1 UFC) is a 5-4 choice to top former title challenger Glover Teixeira (24-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC). And in the new co-main event, former women’s strawweight title challenger Rose Namajunas (4-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is a 7-2 pick to beat Tecia Torres (7-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a rematch from Invicta FC 6.

UFC on FOX 19 takes place at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The card airs on FOX following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

In the MMAjunkie reader consensus picks, Teixeira (66%), Namajunas (71%), Nurmagomedov (93%) and Swanson (85%) have the edge.

Check out all the picks above. Additionally, leave your individual main-card picks below. As usual, MMAjunkie reader “IAMMA” is organizing the MMAjunkie Member Picks, where “Kyle Pineapple” and “Joseph Johnston” are our leaders.

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

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