UFC Fight Night Main Event: Lewis vs Teixeira

A heavyweight clash between veteran knockout artist Derrick Lewis and rising undefeated Tallison Teixeira is the featured bout in a scheduled 12-fight ticket at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, July 12. The festivities take place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN and will be televised on ESPN and ESPN+. During a professional career spanning 41 fights, Lewis has 28 wins with 23 by knockout. He joined UFC in 2014 after holding the Legacy FC heavyweight title. His first six UFC wins were by KO and Lewis holds the UFC record with 15 KO victories. Teixeira has been equally destructive inside the Octagon winning his first eight professional fights with the last seven by KO. Teixeira is about 15 years younger than his opponent and is favored on the UFC betting odds to continue his streak of wins.

UFC Fight Night – Lewis vs. Teixeira

No title fights are on the card but there is sure to be plenty of fireworks with a number of contenders looking to make a move. The main event is one of three heavyweight fights on the ticket with the co-main event a welterweight tussle between Stephen Thompson and Gabriel Bonfirm.

Heavyweight Bout

#9 Derrick Lewis +219 vs. #13 Tallison Teixeira -280

Though he’s lost four of his last six fights, Lewis is No. 9 in the UFC heavyweight rankings. The skill set has eroded with age, but Lewis remains one of the most feared fighters due to his raw power. With 23 of his 28 career wins by KO and only 12 losses he is a force and Lewis is coming off a KO win over Rodrigo Nascimento in May 2024 that extended his UFC record for most KO wins to 15. A former UFC title challenger and Legacy FC heavyweight champion, Lewis is 40-years-old with the most fights of any active UFC heavyweight.

With a record of 8-0 with seven KOs, Teixeira is the favorite in this fight. He has a reach and height advantage of several inches over his opponent and has proven to be just as lethal inside the Octagon. No fight has gone past the first round with his latest victory in his UFC debut coming 35 seconds after the opening bell in a TKO of Justin Tafa at UFC 312. He earned a UFC contract with a TKO of Arthur Lopes in season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Welterweight Bout

#12 Stephen Thompson +325 vs. Gabriel Bonfim -440

Exactly half of Thompson’s eight professional losses have come in his last five fights so there is a sense of urgency for him in this duel with Bonfim. It could also be that Father Time is paying a visit with Thompson now in his early 40s. Bonfim began his MMA career with 15 consecutive wins, including a submission of Eduardo Garvon in a LFA title fight in 2020. That earned him a visit to the Contender Series where Bonfim scored another SUB to open his UFC career.

With 13 of his 17 pro wins via submission you can say Bonfim knows how to handle himself. He lost for the first time at UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis by TKO to Nicolas Dalby but he rebounded to win his last two fights putting him in the rankings. In his first fight to go the distance Bonfim scored a unanimous decision over Ange Loosa last July and submitted Khaos Williams in the closing seconds of the second round in February.

Featherweight Bout

Calvin Kattar +106 vs. Steve Garcia -130

Odds suggest a close fight between featherweight contenders Kattar and Garcia. A former contender, Kattar fell out of the featherweight rankings with losses in his last four fights. He’s currently 23-9 with 11 KOs and looking to regain his swagger. Losing two of his first three fights in the UFC, Garcia has turned things around with five consecutive victories, all by KO. Three of those bouts were decided in the first round with the most recent a TKO of Kyle Nelson last September. Garcia is 17-5 with 14 KOs.

UFC Fight Night Prime Picks

Facing Lewis in the main event might be the toughest challenge yet for Teixeira. However, from a power standpoint Tex matches up well and he’s shown he can take a punch. This one likely doesn’t go the distance and I like Teixeira for the stoppage win. Garcia is in much better form than Kattar in their matchup and his price as the favorite isn’t too steep.