Tecia Torres
VS Rose Namajunas Fight Elevated to Co-Main Event on Fox
More bad news for the UFC Fight Night 19
Card, Lyoto Machida has admitted to taking a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)
banned substance and has been removed from Saturday night’s Co-Main event, to
air on Fox. According to a message on Machida’s Facebook page, Wednesday, he
was surprised to find out a substance he was taking was on USADA’s banned list,
“I really did not know about this substance, so I listed it on my declaration
form amongst everything else I was taking, and this substance was recently
banned in 2016, so I take the blame for not knowing that” Machida goes on to
apologize to fans, teammates and family. The supplement in question is 7-Keto,
which contains DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) an over the counter substance. However,
USADA had it listed on the first page of their Prohibited Substance list in
2005.
This is the second last minute, loss
the Fox fight card has sustained. Tony Ferguson was forced to withdraw last
week due to injury, cancelling his main event bout with 22-0 Khabib
Nurmagomedov. The Strawweight scrap between Tecia Torres and Rose Namajunas has
now been elevated to the co-main event.
Undefeated UFC Strawweight, Tecia “The
Tiny Tornado” Torres faces a familiar opponent, # 3 ranked, Rose “Thug”
Namajunas in the evening’s Co-Main Event at UFC on Fox 19, April 16th.
This is a rematch, Torres defeated Namajunas in 2013 by Unanimous Decision at
Invicta FC 6. The two also stared on The
Ultimate Fighter Season 20 and were eventual teammates on Team Pettis
(Namajunas lost in the finale to former champ Carla Esparza).
Now fighting
out of Coconut Creek, Florida, Torres
is ranked #4, (one spot below Rose) in the UFC’s 115lbs division. Each of the American Top Team member’s seven
victories have come by way of UD, including wins over fellow TUF cast-mate, Angela Hill (6/13/15) and
6-2 Jocelyn Jones Lybarger (12/12/15).
“The Tiny
Tornado” will likely use her Tae Kwon Do and Karate inspired kicking game to close
the five inch reach deficit she gives up to the 5’4” Rose. Tecia hasn’t
submitted an opponent, but has done well to fight off her adversaries sub attempts,
a skill she best employ Saturday as each of Namajunas’ four wins have come by
Submission.
The
twenty-two year old, “Thug” is coming off: a Dec 10th, fifth round,
rear-naked choke (2:25) of Dancing with
the Stars own Paige VanZant, and two
months earlier caught Angela Hill with the same choke in the first round (2:47)
of their Oct 3rd fight. The victor will likely get the winner of
Joanna Jedrzejccyk and Claudia Gadelha’s July 8th Championship
match-up. The pair square off in Fox’s Co-Main Event, a card headlined by #7
Rashad Evans challenging #4 Glover Teixeira in the Light Heavyweight Division.
Former Light Heavyweight Champion,
Rashad Evans’ time in the UFC dates back to The
Ultimate Fighter Season 2 when he bested the Heavyweight competition. “Suga”
lost his last contest, an Oct. 3rd UD to 21-5 Ryan Bader. The fight
was the first for the Junior College National Champion Wrestler, in nearly two
years (injuries had kept him from competition). The 36 year old will be looking
for the 20th win of his career when he faces 24-4 Glover Teixeira
Evans was scheduled to face Teixeira back on Feb 24th,
2015, but a nagging knee injury was credited for Glover’s fight cancellation. Danbury
Connecticut’s Teixeira comes into the fight on a two fight win streak, both
finishes: Nov 7th, he TKO’d Pat Cummins in the 2nd round
(1:12) and he Choked (Jon Jones’ April 23rd opponent) Ovince Saint
Preux unconscious in August.
In the Lightweight Division, the long awaited return of
undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov will finally happen. Nurmagomedov hasn’t fought
since April of 2014 when he beat current LW Champ, Rafael dos Anjos by UD.
Originally scheduled to face Tony Ferguson (forced to withdraw due to injury)
he now faces 12-1 Darrell Horcher in Horcher’s UFC debut. The contest will be a
far cry from the Number-One Contender match fans hoped to see, but Horcher
comes in, riding a five fight win streak, including his last two, both by third
round TKO.
Due to the lineup changes Featherweights, 21-7 Cub Swanson
and 23-3-1 Hacran Dias will now compete in the main-card opener.
Headlining the preliminary fights on UFC’s internet streaming
site FightPass will be the #3 ranked
Flyweight, John Dobson moving up to 135lbs to take on 18-9-1 Manny Gamburyan in
the Bantamweight division.
The Prelims that air on Fox at 6PM ET, feature #7 LW Beneil Dariush
VS. #14 Michael Chiesa battling it out in the Lightweight division.
UFC Fight Night Teixeira VS. Evans
Sat Apr. 16, 2016 8PM ET on Fox
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