UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Teixeira Preview and Predictions

After a week with no action, the UFC returns to the Bridgestone Arena Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, Jul. 12, with a clash of titans at heavyweight. Former title challenger and fan-favorite Derrick Lewis will look to extend his record number of knockouts against a rising star and finishing machine in Tallison Teixeira. It has been over a year since Lewis walked into the Octagon, scoring a thunderous knockout win over Rodrigo Nascimento. He will have to be on his A-game against Teixeira. Teixeira has seven career knockouts of his own to go along with a submission win. He has yet to taste defeat as a professional and a victory over Lewis would be the biggest feather in his cap to this point.

In the co-main event, a former multiple-time title challenger looks to play spoiler and halt the momentum of a rising star. Stephen Thompson is 42 years old and is coming into the cage after being knocked out by Joaquin Buckley. He will have to hold off Father Time, as well as his opponent Gabriel Bonfim. Bonfim will have to avoid the precise striking of Thompson and look to make this fight a grappling match where he should have a sizeable advantage. A crossroads fight if ever there was one, this co-main event could help shape the future of the welterweight division.

UFC Nashville airs live in its entirety on ESPN+ and ESPN starting at 6 p.m. ET. Combat Press writers Dan Kuhl and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.

Tallison Teixeira is undefeated and has won every fight before the judges were necessary; can he topple the UFC’s knockout king and move from prospect to contender?

Kuhl: There isn’t much to say when it comes to these two fighters. 40-year-old Derrick Lewis does not have great cardio, but he hits like a brick shithouse. And, it only takes one solid connection to put his opponents away. However, he is not great on the ground, can be knocked out, and starts to waiver when dragged into deep waters. He is also very close to hanging it up. 25-year-old Tallison Texeira, on the other hand, is just getting started.

Teixeira is young, a lot longer than Lewis, and has won every fight in the first round. Could Lewis knock him out? Sure. Anyone can be knocked out by Lewis. Will he get knocked out by Lewis? Not likely. Teixeira will use his length to maintain distance, throw high and low kicks, and, when the time is right, he will get Lewis to the ground and finish this one by TKO or submission.

Petela: They say power is the last thing to go and for Derrick Lewis that is a very good thing. His power has led him to a title shot and the most knockouts in UFC history. He is going to need that power to be locked and loaded against a mammoth opponent like Tallison Teixeira. Teixeira is probably the more refined striker, but Lewis has a way of making people do some good old fashioned swangin and bangin. If “The Black Beast” can make this fight ugly he has a great chance at holding off the rising star.

This fight won’t go the distance, of that I am certain. I think it ends up looking like many Derrick Lewis fights and he will be a little bit slower than his opponent and get bested in the early striking exchanges. However, just like so many previous fights I think that Lewis will dig into his bag of tricks and throw a haymaker at the right time that ends the show. It might be wishful thinking because as I age I tend to try and root for older guys to catch lightning in a bottle but I’m betting on Lewis to score a record expanding knockout.

Stephen Thompson is fifteen years older than his opponent Gabriel Bonfim; can the old dog pull out a win and slow down the momentum of Bonfim?

Petela: It doesn’t make sense, but I think the legend turns back the clock one more time and holds off the contender. “Wonderboy” is tricky to prepare for, because there aren’t that many people in the world who can emulate his style at an elite level. He has that sideways point-karate stance, but has used it successfully in both kickboxing and MMA. Even at an advanced age for a fighter, his style is still puzzling. He is also one of the most cerebral and intelligent fighters to ever fight in the Octagon. He may have lost some speed off his fastball, but I think he will be able to adapt and overcome by throwing some junk at Bonfim and making sure that the youngster can’t get any reads on what is coming. Leaving Bonfim dazed and confused, I think Thompson scores a decision victory.

Kuhl: Im with Matt on this one. Stephen Thompson may be 42 years old, but he is like a teenager in mind, body and spirit. In his entire fighting career, he never really faltered until he got to the highest levels of the UFC. But, he has been consistently training, teaching and performing, and as any good martial artist knows, teaching others, even kids, is the best way to keep your skills sharp. Now, 17-1 Gabriel Bonfim is no slouch, and he’s certainly no kid, but his 4-1 record in the UFC is not against anyone remotely close to Thompson stylistically. And, styles make fights.

I, too, see Thompson picking Bonfim apart for three rounds, and taking this one on the scorecards.

What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Kuhl: Obviously, we have some fighters on the card that are going to retire soon, if not on fight night. So, those don’t really count. Austen Lane, minus his medium star power from a relatively short-lived NFL career, hasn’t really proven to have a place in the UFC. He’s 1-3-1 in the promotion with very little upside. A loss could easily earn his walking papers.

Petela: Calvin Kattar. He has lost four in a row and five out of his last six. He truly has not been the same fighter since absorbing more strikes than any other fighter in UFC history when he got battered by Max Holloway. He is the prime example of why corners should be more willing to stop fights in between rounds. Kattar could have retooled his game and improved to the point where he could have remained a contender or even a champion but that fight beat the career out of him and if he loses this weekend it is probably the end of the road.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Petela: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Valter Walker. Nzechukwu looked good in both his fights at heavyweight, scoring TKO wins over Chris Barnett and Lukesz Brzeski, both in the first round. Walker is a 13-1 professional fighter who has never been stopped. That durability will be fun to watch against the power coming at him from the “African Savage.”

Kuhl: Jake Matthews vs. Chidi Njokuani is going to be a hell of a fight. Njokuani is looking to string together four wins in a row, and he always comes ready to strike. While many of Matthews earlier UFC wins have been by submission, he has also been exposed on the ground as well. This one stays standing, and if it does go the distance, it will by no means be a boring fight.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Kuhl: I think Chris Curtis finishes Max Griffin by the midpoint of the second round to take home a bonus. Curtis is badly in need of a statement win, and I think he picks that up with a TKO of Griffin.

Petela: Jake Matthews. He is going to submit Chidi Njokuani this weekend and do it in style. He will have to avoid the dangerous power of Njokuani but he will probably use that power coming back at him to his advantage. An over swing from Njokuani will give the small opening that Matthews needs to get the fight to the canvas where he will slice through him like a warm knife through butter and snatch his neck.

Pair this card with…

Petela: A new phone. This fight card has a few trusty veterans that the UFC is looking to replace with new contenders. Derrick Lewis, Stephen Thompson, and Lauren Murphy among others are all people much closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. So, take a page out of the UFC playbook and replace that old, worn down phone that might have a little water damage and grab yourself something shiny and new.

Kuhl: While there are many fights on this card that will signal a changing of the guard, this is the UFC’s seventh event in Nashville, going back to 2009. There are going to be some classic, spicy slobberknockers on this card, so I’m going with some classic, spicy Nashville hot chicken.