Matches to Make After UFC on Fox 19

Some view Khabib Nurmagomedov as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s uncrowned king at 155 pounds. In his return from a two-year injury layoff, he did nothing to dispel the notion.

Nurmagomedov took care of promotional newcomer Darrell Horcher with second-round punches and re-established himself as a serious lightweight title contender at UFC on Fox 19 “Teixeira vs. Evans” on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. A replacement for the injured Tony Ferguson, Horcher met his end 3:38 into round two.

Various injuries had kept Nurmagomedov on the sidelines since April 19, 2014. The 27-year-old American Kickboxing rep showed no signs of rust in improving his gaudy record to 23-0. Nurmagomedov executed a high-amplitude takedown in the first round and nearly finished it there, achieving full mount and slicing open Horcher’s scalp with elbows. He picked up where he left off in the second, securing another takedown before advancing to the back and forcing the stoppage with unanswered punches.

According to FightMetric data, Nurmagomedov out-landed Horcher 75-6 in the significant strikes department and 107-18 in total strikes.

In wake of UFC on Fox 19, here are five matchups that ought to be considered:

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Rafael dos Anjos-Eddie Alvarez winner: It seems only injuries can slow down Nurmagomedov. The Dagestani freight train roared to his seventh straight win since arriving in the UFC four years ago, as he disposed of the aforementioned Horcher with second-round ground-and-pound. The onetime Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder never stood a chance against Nurmagomedov, who utilized takedowns and his punishing top game to net the desired result. Nurmagomedov has an important feather in his cap to which he can point: a unanimous decision win over current lightweight champion dos Anjos in 2014. Dos Anjos will defend the lightweight title against Alvarez at a UFC Fight Night event on July 7.

Glover Teixeira vs. Anthony Johnson: Bad things happen when the Teixeira left hook finds its mark. Rashad Evans now knows this truth all too well. Teixeira knocked out Evans in the first round of the UFC on Fox 19 main event, as he recorded his third consecutive victory and strengthened his position as one of the sport’s top light heavyweights. The Brazilian overwhelmed Evans with his pressure before delivering the finishing blows: a left hook followed by a right uppercut. Johnson has not fought since he smashed Ryan Bader in 86 seconds on Jan. 30.

Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk-Claudia Gadelha winner: Namajunas avenged one of the two losses on her resume, as she claimed a unanimous decision over Tecia Torres in the co-main event. The steadily improving Grudge Training Center export finds herself on a three-fight winning streak, having made a strong case for consideration as the No. 1 contender at 115 pounds with back-to-back-to-back victories over Torres, Paige VanZant and Angela Hill. Jedrzejczyk will put her UFC women’s strawweight championship on the line against Gadelha at “The Ultimate Fighter 23” Finale on July 8.

Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Bermudez: In his first appearance in nearly a year, Swanson put a two-fight losing streak behind him with a unanimous decision over Nova Uniao’s Hacran Dias. The Jackson-Wink MMA mainstay knocked down Dias twice, once in the second round and again in the third, as he bounced back from consecutive defeats to Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway. Swanson remains on the periphery of the featherweight title picture, his position boosted by previous wins over Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Siver and Jeremy Stephens. Bermudez last appeared at a UFC Fight Night event on Feb. 21, when he was awarded a unanimous verdict over former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Michael Chiesa vs. Tony Ferguson: Perhaps no fighter improved his stock more at UFC on Fox 19 than Chiesa, who submitted surging Kings MMA standout Beneil Dariush with a second-round rear-naked choke. Often overlooked in the UFC lightweight division, Chiesa has strung together three wins in a row since being stopped on a cut against Joe Lauzon in September 2014. Dariush, a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, had never before been submitted in MMA competition. Ferguson -- who was paired opposite Nurmagomedov in the original main event before an injury forced him to withdraw -- has won his past seven bouts, finishing five of them.