Derrick Lewis, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) all-time knockout leader, delivered another stunning finish, stopping Brazil’s Tallison Teixeira in just 35 seconds at UFC Nashville last night (Sat., July 12, 2025) inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee (watch highlights).
The main event stoppage is sure to spark debate, as it was highly controversial. After taking heavy ground-and-pound from Lewis, Teixeira staggered to his feet, only for referee Jason Herzog to wave off the fight.
Did Teixeira’s horrible fence grab to stand prompt the call, or was he still too dazed to continue?
Referees rarely explain their decisions, so we may never know, but UFC CEO Dana White called the stoppage premature.
“A fight can turn with one punch,” White told the media during the UFC Nashville post-fight press conference (watch here). “Whoever lands that big shot, and they were both trying to land it, and he got him. I thought the stoppage was a little fast, but you know, it is what it is.”
Lewis (29-12) is now riding a two-fight winning streak, both of his wins coming by way of knockout, and honestly is probably a win away from a title shot.
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This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
