UFC Fight Night Nashville: Derrick Lewis takes on undefeated Tallison Teixeira in clash of heavyweights

UFC Fight Night in Nashville pits veteran knockout king Derrick Lewis, aka 'The Black Beast', against rising heavyweight Tallison Teixeira at Bridgestone Arena on July 12.

At 40, Lewis (28-12-0-1) returns from a record-setting win, reigniting his trademark power and showmanship after a 14-month layoff. Teixeira enters undefeated (8–0 MMA) and is already knocking out opponents in the first-round on his UFC journey.

Lewis, the UFC’s all-time leader in knockouts with 15, has gone 2-4 in his last six appearances inside the Octagon, a stretch dating back to February 2022.



Currently ranked ninth in the heavyweight division, Lewis aims to keep his title hopes alive with a win over rising Brazilian prospect Teixeira, especially now that Tom Aspinall has been crowned full champion following Jon Jones’ retirement.

Teixeira, just 25, made an explosive UFC debut in February with a first-round knockout of Justin Tafa, earning a 'Performance of the Night' bonus.

Teixeira has finished all his fights in under 2 rounds, and now he looks to build on that momentum and further establish himself as a serious contender in the heavyweight ranks.

HOW TO WATCH LEWIS VS TEIXEIRA LIVE

• Date: Saturday, July 12
• Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
• Start time: 9PM ET
• Channel: ESPN and ESPN+
• Lewis vs Teixeira start time: 11:40PM ET (approx)

MAIN CARD FIGHTS

• Derrick Lewis vs Tallison Teixeira - Heavyweight
• Stephen Thompson vs Gabriel Bonfim - Welterweight
• Calvin Kattar vs Steve Garcia - Featherweight
• Nate Landwher vs Morgan Charriere - Featherweight
• Vitor Petrino vs Austen Lane - Heavyweight
• Junior Tafa vs Tuco Tokkos - Light heavyweight

PRELIMINARY CARD FIGHTS

• Max Griffin vs Chris Curtis - Welterweight
• Jake Matthews vs Chidi Njokuani - Welterweight
• Lauren Murphy vs Eduarda Moura - Women's flyweight
• Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Valter Walker - Heavyweight
• Mitch Ramirez vs Mike Davis - Lightweight
• Fatima Kline vs Melissa Martinez - Women's strawweight