Preview: UFC on Fox 19 ‘Teixeira vs. Evans’

Lightweights

Beneil Dariush (12-1) vs. Michael Chiesa (13-2): Dariush and Chiesa are as similar as they are different. Both men are excellent submission grapplers, with airtight positioning and dangerous chokes. Both men are southpaws and surprisingly effective on the feet given their grappling backgrounds. Where Chiesa is an awkward and often wild striker, however, Dariush is technical and disciplined, the lighter and more agile version of heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. Dariush works behind a stinging jab and a powerful left kick, while Chiesa lunges around behind his straight left and fancies awkward linear kicks at long range. Chiesa’s height makes him dangerous in the clinch, though both he and Dariush are capable wrestlers. Chiesa’s edge is probably his durability: Dariush has been dropped and knocked out in the past, while Chiesa is typically iron-chinned. Even so, Dariush’s calmer, more technical striking should allow him to dictate the range, which will allow him to dictate position and pace, all while racking up damage with his jab and kicks. Even a grappler of his caliber will have to watch his back around Chiesa, however. The pick is Dariush by unanimous decision.

Bantamweights

John Dodson (17-7) vs. Manny Gamburyan (15-8): Following his second loss to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, Dodson foregoes the difficult weight cut for the first time since he won Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and returns to the bantamweight division. Gamburyan represents a solid test. Though not particularly big for a bantamweight, Gamburyan is undeniably strong and makes the most of what weight he has by employing an aggressive style centered on his grappling. Gamburyan is not a fantastic wrestler from long range, but he finishes takedowns exceptionally well and works his way into the pocket with heavy single strikes. Not throwing in combination, however, Gamburyan may have trouble cornering the lightning-quick and mobile Dodson. “The Magician” is an extremely hard hitter with brilliant timing. Gamburyan’s lunging ones and twos, though powerful, will afford Dodson ample opportunity to work his counters. As long as he can avoid the wrestling, Dodson wins by TKO in the second round.

Welterweights

Court McGee (17-4) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (21-3): McGee is the kind of fighter who rarely enjoys an easy fight. He is renowned for his hard work in the gym, and he wins fights much the same way. McGee is an awkward, well-rounded fighter. He throws at a high rate, alternating punches with kicks. Ponzinibbio is an explosive, powerful striker, happy to throw combinations of his own. He is precisely the kind of fighter who tends to hurt McGee in the early rounds, but he has tended to fade in the past. McGee, meanwhile, can plug along for round after round. Though he may get tagged early, McGee should be able to combine his strikes and his wrestling to put Ponzinibbio on his back, where he is forced to rely on his explosive athleticism rather than technique. A former middleweight, McGee should be able to stifle Ponzinibbio on the ground and wear him down as the fight plays out. The pick is McGee by split decision.

Women’s Bantamweights

Bethe Correia (9-1) vs Raquel Pennington (6-5): Correia certainly did not come off well in the 34 seconds she spent with Ronda Rousey, but the Brazilian fighter is still just a novice and one with potential. As she attempted to do before Rousey ran her over, Correia is at her best fighting a disciplined outside game, sticking her opponent with leg kicks, stepping in with straight punches and exiting with a sharp left hook. Takedown defense is a problem, but Correia is a solid scrambler. Pennington is not much more experienced, but she is five years younger, and that means greater potential for rapid improvement. Lately, Pennington has grown into a bullying clinch fighter. She still struggles with consistency, fighting in bursts rather than maintaining steady volume, but she responds well to pressure, matching the intensity of her opponent’s attack and often outlasting her. If Correia can pepper “Rocky” from range, she stands a good chance of winning this fight, but Pennington’s length should help her bridge the gap into the clinch, where she is more powerful and far more dangerous. Pennington by submission in the third round is the pick.

Welterweights

Randy Brown (7-0) vs. Michael Graves (5-0): Two 25-year-old undefeated prospects meet in this enticing style clash. Brown stands a full five inches taller than Graves, and his wingspan is about seven inches longer. Their styles are no more similar than their bodies: Brown has a boxing background and prefers to strike, while Graves came up in the sport of wrestling. Reach will favor Brown in this matchup, but height may not. Graves, stocky and compact, will have a much easier time getting in on Brown’s hips, and Brown has yet to show the kind of ground game necessary to compete with Graves. Graves is also likely the better mixed martial artist, with an emphasis on “mixed.” He is a strong transitional fighter who mixes strikes with takedowns and lands powerful shots in the spaces between phases. Brown does finish strong, but Graves will have the upper hand as long as he can put the big man on his back. Graves wins by unanimous decision.

Middleweights

Cezar Ferreira (8-5) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (6-1): Bamgbose gets the call on just over a week’s notice to replace Caio Magalhaes. His opponent, Ferreira, was KO’d in each of his last two fights. Given that Oluwale has only ever won by knockout, Ferreira would seem to be at great risk. Then again, we still know nothing of Bamgbose’s long game. In seven fights, he has never gone past the first round. In fact, Bamgbose has never even seen the fifth minute of a fight. Given his musculature, high-power style and inexperience, chances are good that he is not yet ready for grueling fights, despite some real potential as an awkward, powerful kickboxer. Ferreira has been willing to strike in the past, but he is a capable wrestler, as well, both in the clinch and at range. Expect him to put Bamgbose on his back early and test the cardio and composure of “The Holy War Angel.” The pick is Ferreira by second-round submission.

Lightweights

Drew Dober (16-7) vs. Islam Makhachev (12-1): Makhachev is one of Dagestan’s most promising young fighters. After being sparked unconscious by veteran Adriano Martins, Makhachev gets the chance to ply his trade against a rugged journeyman with little punching power -- Not an easy matchup for a prospect but certainly a more forgiving one. Dober is a high-volume kickboxer who tries to fight from a distance but usually finds himself countering in the pocket, where he is not at all unskilled. Dober has also been improving as a grappler. He can grind in the clinch when necessary and even work in a reactive takedown or two. Clinching with Makhachev is a very tall order, however. Makhachev has an outstanding feel for transitions, flowing from punching range to the clinch, from a knee to an elbow to a throw, etcetera. Makhachev will take some licks at range, but once he gets his arms around Dober, he will gain firm control of the pace and location of the fight. Makhachev wins by unanimous decision.

Welterweights

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (14-5) vs. Omari Akhmedov (15-3): It would be easy to write off Akhmedov’s TKO to Sergio Moraes as a fluke, but taken in the context of his career, the result reveals a worrying pattern. The Dagestani places his shots well and mixes them up intelligently, but he throws nothing but full-power strikes. This causes most of his combinations to flow at the same, predictable rhythm, and it leaves him winded by the mid-point of the second round. Fortunately for Akhmedov, dos Santos is a fighter who tends to match pace rather than pushing it. Dos Santos is a power puncher, but he has the awkward, varied rhythm that Akhmedov lacks. Akhmedov’s wrestling will be his saving grace. Dos Santos was taken down repeatedly by Nicolas Dalby in his UFC debut, and Akhmedov times takedowns off of striking exchanges much like Dalby. This will allow Akhmedov to break dos Santos’ rhythm, but even then, the Brazilian will be a handful in the third round. The pick is Akhmedov by hard-fought unanimous decision.