Lewis Achieves 16th Career Knockout, Extends UFC Record

NASHVILLE: Derrick Lewis demonstrated his knockout prowess by defeating Tallison Teixeira in just 35 seconds during their heavyweight main event at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.

Lewis overwhelmed Teixeira with a left hook early in the fight, following up with powerful right hands until the referee intervened, securing his 16th career knockout in the UFC.

Teixeira, who had an initial record of 8-0 with eight first-round finishes, was unable to withstand Lewis’s superior experience and skill.

Despite appealing for a chance to continue, the 25-year-old Brazilian couldn’t recover after the initial blow.

Lewis remarked about Teixeira’s corner that they had been underestimating him, joking about the level of his prior opponents.

“They were talking trash all week,” Lewis stated.

“I don’t understand much Portuguese, but I could tell they were disrespecting me. It was clear he’d only faced weak opponents before.”

Following a rough patch from 2022 to 2023, Lewis has quietly returned to heavyweight title contention. With three consecutive victories, he holds a 3-1 record in his last four fights, all three wins being knockouts.

His sole defeat during this period was against Jailton Almeida in November 2023. Despite this, Lewis entered Saturday’s match as the underdog.

Teixeira, with only one prior UFC appearance, now has a 1-1 record in the Octagon following this heavyweight clash.