Jul 12, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, United States; Derrick Lewis (red gloves) fights Tallison Teixeira (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

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Derrick Lewis Still UFC Knockout King, TKOs Undefeated Tallison Teixeira At UFC Nashville!

Derrick Lewis showcases his tremendous power with a first minute knock out win over undefeated Tallison Teixeira!

Derrick Lewis has been knocking people out in the UFC for what feels like forever now. The Houston native has built his entire career around one simple philosophy: hit hard and hit first. While other heavyweights focus on fancy footwork or wrestling techniques, Lewis keeps things brutally simple. He walks forward, swings those massive fists, and more often than not, his opponents end up flat on their backs. It’s not always pretty, but it’s definitely effective, and the fans absolutely love watching him work.

Going into UFC Nashville, Lewis faced a serious test in Tallison Teixeira, an undefeated Brazilian who had been steamrolling through opponents. Teixeira came into this fight with a perfect 8-0 record, and all eight of those wins came by finish, with none of his fights even lasting five minutes. His UFC debut against Justin Tafa lasted just 35 seconds, which sent shockwaves through the heavyweight division. This was supposed to be Lewis’s toughest challenge in recent memory. But sometimes experience and raw power trump youth and momentum, and Nashville was about to witness exactly that.

Derrick Lewis Shows His Power In Less Than a Minute

When the cage door closed, both fighters knew this wasn’t going to be a long, drawn out fight. These are two guys who specialize in ending fights quickly, so something had to give. The opening exchanges were exactly what fans would expect from two heavy hitters. Both men came out swinging with bad intentions. Teixeira actually managed to hurt Lewis early in the round, which probably got him thinking he was about to add another quick finish to his perfect record.

But here’s the thing about Derrick Lewis. He has been hurt before, and he knows how to weather storms better than most. Instead of panicking or backing down, Lewis did what he always does best. He fired back with that devastating overhand left that has put so many fighters to sleep over the years. The shot connected cleanly, and Teixeira’s legs wobbled immediately.

DERRICK LEWIS FIRST ROUND KO#UFCNashvile pic.twitter.com/rqn0eQejGh
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 13, 2025

Once Lewis smelled blood in the water, he didn’t waste any time. He swarmed forward, throwing everything he had at the stunned Brazilian. Teixeira tried to recover, but when Lewis gets going like that, it’s almost impossible to stop him. The referee stepped in to wave off the fight at just 35 seconds into the first round, giving Lewis another spectacular knockout victory. The Nashville crowd went absolutely wild, and Lewis celebrated in his own typical way!

Derrick Lewis Extends His UFC Knockout Record To 16 Finishes

With this victory over Teixeira, Derrick Lewis has now extended his UFC knockout record to an incredible 16 finishes. To put that number in perspective, most fighters would be thrilled to have 16 total wins in the UFC, let alone 16 knockouts. Lewis has turned ending fights into an art form, and he shows no signs of slowing down even as he gets older.

The win over Teixeira was particularly satisfying because it came against someone who was supposed to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division. Teixeira had been finishing everyone in his path, but Lewis reminded everyone why he’s still the most dangerous one punch artist in the entire sport. After the fight, he mocked Tallison’s team for trash talking during the fight week. He further was on the phone with US President Donald Trump. However, what he said to him remains unknown (probably something about being on the UFC White House Card!)

(Image Credit: Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean – Imagn Images)

Derrick Lewis

Tallison Teixeira

UFC Nashville

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!