KO king Derrick Lewis set to face 6’7″ behemoth who finished UFC debut in 35 seconds
UFC all-time knockout leader Derrick Lewis has a tall task (literally) in front of him for his reported Octagon return.
Derrick Lewis remains one of the most intimidating, destructive forces in the UFC after a plethora of wild finishes inside the Octagon. While the UFC’s heavyweight division waits for clarity on the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight negotiations, Lewis and a few other contenders are waiting in the wings for a shot at the belt.
Lewis has taken on some of the toughest heavyweights in UFC history during his career, including Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov. While Lewis has fallen short of his UFC title aspirations, he remains one of the promotion’s biggest fan favorites.
But while Lewis has faced just about every puzzle imaginable in the UFC’s heavyweight division, few are comparable to what he’ll reportedly face next.
Report: Derrick Lewis targeted for UFC comeback on July 12th
As reported by MMA journalist Laerte Viana, Lewis will face undefeated heavyweight Tallison Teixeira at a UFC Fight Night targeted for Nashville, TN on July 12th. As of this writing, the UFC hasn’t confirmed nor denied the Lewis vs. Teixeira fight, as well as the venue and location for the July 12th UFC Fight Night event.
Teixeira will face a steep climb in competition for his second UFC booking. After earning a contract via Dana White’s Contender Series last year with a one-punch knockout, Teixeira knocked out Justin Tafa in just 35 seconds at UFC 312 in February.
Standing at 6’7″, Teixeira holds a considerable height advantage over the 6’3″ Lewis. But Lewis has fought against taller heavyweights throughout his career, although Teixeira presents a new, fresh challenge to the UFC heavyweight division.
As of this writing, Teixeira is listed as the tallest fighter on the UFC roster. The 25-year-old enjoyed brief stints in LFA and SFT before attracting the attention of the UFC brass.
- READ MORE: Sean O’Malley gives up several vices as he promises ’70 percent better’ performance at UFC 316
UFC Edmonton winner paid homage to Derrick Lewis after his last-second withdrawal
Lewis was supposed to face Jhonata Diniz at UFC Edmonton in November before withdrawing just hours before the event due to an undisclosed illness. Despite Lewis’s subtraction from the card, that didn’t stop one UFC Edmonton fight winner from shouting out the heavyweight star.
After defeating Ariane da Silva, UFC flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius echoed Lewis’s infamous ‘My balls was hot!’ catchphrase during her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. Lewis made the infamous declaration after a come-from-behind KO win over Volkov at UFC 229.
Lewis hasn’t fought since knocking out Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC St. Louis last May. Before a loss to Jailton Almeida on short notice, Lewis set the all-time UFC knockouts record by finishing Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 291 in just 33 seconds.
The rest of the UFC Nashville card is expected to be finalized and announced in the coming weeks.
- READ MORE: Jack Della Maddalena blasts Belal Muhammad’s ‘boring fight style’ and compares it to a UFC legend
