“Xicao” vows to be back.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Tallison Teixeira suffered his first professional loss at UFC Nashville this past weekend (Sat., July 12, 2025) when he was stopped in 35 seconds by UFC knockout king Derrick Lewis inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee (watch highlights).
UFC CEO Dana White thought it was an early stoppage, but it was part of the script.
Despite the setback, Teixeira addressed his devastating loss on Instagram, notably avoiding any mention of the very controversial stoppage.
“Thank you for all the support from everyone, it might have been my first loss in MMA, but it wasn’t my first fight,” Teixeira wrote. “I know what to do to come back stronger, I will always come back stronger.”
The 6’8” Brazilian fighter handled the loss with absolute class, refraining from criticizing referee Jason Herzog for the disputed stoppage.
At only 25, Teixeira is poised to rebound from this defeat, likely gaining valuable insight from headlining just his second UFC bout.
Though “Xicao” saw his eight-fight win streak end, he maintains a 100 percent finish rate, with every victory secured in the first round, including his UFC debut against Justin Tafa.
For more UFC Nashville results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
