Derrick Lewis Says He Nearly Had To Beg To Get UFC Nashville Fight

Derrick Lewis, who holds the record for most knockout wins in UFC history, has his next fight booked. However, the former UFC heavyweight title challenger, who has not set foot inside the Octagon for more than a year, said securing the UFC Nashville main event fight opposite Tallison Teixeira was not easy.

“It’s crazy that nobody’s fighting right now,” Lewis recently told MMA Junkie. “Heavyweight, I don’t know what’s going on. I damn near had to beg to get this fight, so I don’t know what’s going on. Hopefully we can stay active after this.”

UFC Nashville takes place on July 12 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Lewis (28-12-0-1) is the No. 9 fighter in the official UFC heavyweight rankings. The 40-year-old former UFC title challenger is coming off a May 2024 knockout win over Rodrigo Nascimento. Lewis, who owns the record for most knockouts in UFC history with 15, is 2-4 in his past six trips to the Octagon dating back to February 2022.

Lewis has been with the UFC since 2014. He also has the UFC record for most finishes in the heavyweight division with 15. No active UFC heavyweight has as many fights in the Octagon as Lewis does at 29. Lewis has a UFC heavyweight record eight fight-night bonus awards.

Lewis was scheduled to face Jhonata Diniz in November, but he was forced to withdraw from that contest after he had weighed in because of an undisclosed medical issue.

Teixeira (8-0) joined the UFC in 2024 with a knockout win on a Dana White Contender Series card. The 25-year-old made his official UFC debut in February 2025, scoring a first-round knockout and a “Performance of the Night” bonus in a win over Justin Tafa.

The UFC is wasting no time in throwing Teixeira into the deep end of the heavyweight pool, giving him a veteran opponent in a main event contest. All eight of Teixeira’s career wins have come via first-round stoppage (seven knockouts, one submission). He has been a pro since 2021. He is ranked No. 14 in the UFC’s heavyweight weight class.

Lewis said of Teixeira, “I know he’s Brazilian, and he’s a tall guy. He’s a heavyweight, so pretty sure he’s got knockout power. I didn’t watch any of his fights yet, nothing like that, but my coach told me he’s got a lot of first-round knockouts. … I’ve been training for like four months now, non-stop really, down to every day, and I never did that before. I’m coming into this fight, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be in great shape. My six pack will be back.”

“Yeah, I’m comfortable,” Lewis added. “I like fighting tall guys. It aligns with my right hand. The way I throw my right hand, it aligns with it.”

We will have more information on Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira and the UFC Nashville fight card as information becomes available. The UFC Fight Night card is airs on ESPN and ESPN+.