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TALLISON TEIXEIRA | FROM PROMISE TO REALITY
Heavyweight Sophomore Dives Into Main Event Matchup With Derrick Lewis
Perspective is everything, and the way Tallison Teixeira is looking at the whirlwind 10-month stretch that has carried him from competing on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series to headlining the UFC’s return to Nashville this weekend opposite Derrick Lewis gives a very clear understanding of the promise the Brazilian brings to the heavyweight division.
“Everything changed and nothing changed,” Teixeira said from his hotel room in “Music City” on Tuesday afternoon, his thoughts translated and conveyed by Fabiano Buskei. “It’s weird because you can think about a guy that was fighting in the countryside, nobody knew his name, and then all of a sudden, you get the wins, you’re in a main event against that kind of competition, so a lot changed in my life.
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“Here I am, a guy that no one knew his name, and now I’m on the greatest stage in the world.
“At the same time, nothing changed because I’m a guy that keeps on working,” he added, pivoting this point of view. “I’ve gotten somewhere, but I’m nowhere near where I want to be at, so that part has not changed; I continued to be the same person and work as hard. So everything changed, yet nothing changed.”
Things really have moved that quickly for the 25-year-old, who earned a pair of first-round stoppage wins under the LFA banner last year before venturing to Las Vegas and punching his ticket to the UFC with a similar result in a clash with compatriot Arthur Lopes.
After securing his contract, Teixeira ventured to Sydney, Australia, in February for his promotional debut, stepping in with local banger Justin Tafa. Just 35 seconds later, the unbeaten newcomer departed the Octagon with his first UFC victory in hand, having announced his presence as an intriguing addition to the big boy ranks.
As any musical artist will tell you, dropping a killer debut is great, but the real pressure comes with the sophomore release, as everyone sits with baited breath, waiting to see what you’ll do for an encore. This weekend, the imposing rookie gets the chance to deliver a monster second effort as he steps in with Lewis, the UFC’s all-time leader in knockouts and the most experienced competitor in the division.
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“As far as the opponent is concerned, it didn’t get me as much because I’m thinking Derrick Lewis, to me — I see him as another guy just like the previous eight that fell,” Teixeira said without hesitation when asked about this weekend’s assignment. “I have to see him that way, and that’s how I see him, so it wasn’t that.
“The biggest thing is when I found out it was a main event — that got me,” he added, a massive smile sweeping across his face
While his approach is understandable and extremely common, the reality is that Lewis is not like any of the other eight individuals Teixeira has shared the cage with to this point in his career.
The 40-year-old Houston native has been a staple in the UFC since April 2014, having made 29 previous treks to the Octagon, earning 19 victories — 15 of them by knockout — and having challenged for both the undisputed and interim heavyweight titles. Though he came up short in both of those contests, “The Black Beast” has nearly as many professional appearances (40) as the rest of Teixeira’s previous eight opponents combined (46), and is well acquainted with the position he’s occupying this weekend as the veteran half of a classic matchup dynamic.
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When that idea was conveyed to the first-year UFC fighter, Teixeira once more flashed his confidence and sharp outlook on both the task at hand, and what the future may hold for him.
“He’s not like the eight — everyone is different in their own right and they offer different things,” he began. “He’s got 13 years in the organization and he’s got record knockouts, but I’m thinking, ’(He’s got) 13 years in the organization, two knockouts a year,’ so I guess because of the longevity and the time, he was able to accomplish that record.
"I can see myself going through the same and surpassing that record,” continued Teixeira, who has earned first-round finishes in each of his previous eight appearances. “I do feel ready for this and I’m ready to take him on. All the other ones were stoppages, so I feel that I have the tools to stop him as well.”
So it’s the current record-holder versus the future record-holder on Saturday night in Nashville?
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“Exactly,” Teixeira said with a smile.
As much as his undeniable confidence is sure to be what catches people’s eyes and ears this week as he readies to face off with Lewis as Bridgestone Arena, the truth is that regardless of how this fight plays out, the six-foot-seven Brazilian is clearly someone to keep close tabs on going forward in his career, especially given his age and weight class.
The heavyweight prospect won’t turn 26 until December, and conservatively speaking, could have a dozen years ahead of him inside the Octagon, which would — using his earlier math — give him a chance to try and chase down Lewis’ knockout record. But setting milestones aside, Teixeira has already shown he belongs as this level, having marched down and dispatched Tafa on his home turf with aplomb at UFC 312 in February.
If he’s able to do something similar against Lewis on Saturday, Teixeira believes that the way he is viewed will have to shift.
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“I think winning and beating him means I will no longer be seen as ‘a promise,’ but seen as a reality,” offered the thoughtful Team Lucas Mineiro representative. “It’s like whenever I had the last fight, people were saying the same thing: ‘Tafa is a tough guy, he’s got heavy hands, you’re gonna have to maybe take him down to be able to beat him.’ There I was, and I didn’t have to do that. Now it’s the same thing: ‘Derrick Lewis, very tough guy, heavy hands, this is what you need to do.’
“I think people have not seen it, but they don’t understand what I understand, and that’s what they’re gonna see,” he added. “They haven’t seen the tools, but they will understand that I have all the tools to be a champion, and that I am the future of this division; that I can be a champion, and a very dominant one, as well.”
Tallison Teixeira Fight Week Interview | UFC Nashville
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Tallison Teixeira Fight Week Interview | UFC Nashville
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Those are lofty aims and a ton of pressure to heap upon his own shoulders at this early stage, but Teixeira does so without hesitation. He’s beyond confident in what he’s able to do, and feels all he needs is the opportunity to show people the full extent of his arsenal.
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He gets that chance Saturday, and he’s eager to get back to work and send a shockwave through the heavyweight landscape this weekend.
“Of course, I plan on putting on a show,” said Teixeira, his smile widening once again. “My focus is on Saturday and getting that done. If it can be quick or if I need to fight one, three, five, I’ll be ready to go.”
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Teixeira took place live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on July 12, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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