Lewis TKOs Teixeira in 35 seconds at UFC Nashville

The knockout king struck again.

Derrick Lewis picked up an emphatic win in the UFC Nashville main event, defeating Tallison Teixeira via 35-second TKO on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.

The 40-year-old Lewis overcame a massive age gap to hand Teixeira, a 25-year-old heavyweight prospect, his first MMA loss. Lewis was more than a 2-1 underdog going in.

With the victory, "The Black Beast" extended the record for most knockouts in UFC history with his 16th.

Teixeira landed the first significant blow of the fight, a left punch that appeared to irritate Lewis' eye. But Lewis responded immediately, charging forward and dropping Teixeira with a left of his own. He pounced on Teixeira and battered him with ground-and-pound. Teixeira made it to the edge of the Octagon and grabbed the fence in a desperate attempt to get up, and just as he returned to his feet, referee Jason Herzog made the questionable decision to call off the fight.

After the main event ended, Lewis once again took off his shorts, waved them around in the air, and then mooned the crowd. He celebrated in similar fashion last year at UFC St. Louis.

Lewis, ranked No. 9 in the heavyweight division, stepped into the cage for the first time since May 2024. The former title challenger is riding a two-fight winning streak and is 3-1 in his past four Octagon appearances.

Teixeira fell to 1-1 in the UFC and 8-1 as a professional. The Brazilian signed with the promotion last year after a win on Dana White's Contender Series. He debuted at UFC 312 in February and earned a 35-second TKO victory.