Derrick Lewis secured a controversial TKO victory over Tallison Teixeira in UFC Nashville, with mixed reactions from fighters about the referee’s decision to stop the fight after Teixeira grabbed the cage to regain his footing.
Derrick Lewis, the knockout king, might’ve had a little help this time. The UFC Nashville main event ended with Lewis scoring a TKO against Tallison Teixeira just 35 seconds into the first round.
Initially, Lewis seemed shaken—maybe from a strike or an accidental eye poke—but the fight didn’t pause. So, Lewis did what he does best: started swinging wildly.
As he found his rhythm, Lewis’ signature “swangin’ and bangin’” style took over. Teixeira was soon on the defensive, rocked by a hard punch and scrambling to recover. In a desperate move, Teixeira grabbed the fence with both hands to regain his footing, but referee Jason Herzog had seen enough and waved off the fight.
The decision left fighters on social media buzzing. Alan Jouban tweeted, “Horrible time to stop a fight!” Opinions were mixed, to say the least.
Despite the controversy, Lewis extended his UFC knockout record to 16, tying with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone for the third-most stoppages in UFC history. Only Jim Miller and Charles Oliveira have more.
Fighter reactions poured in on social media. Aljamain Sterling declared, “OG ain’t losing tonight!!!” while Julianna Peña praised Lewis’ post-fight speeches as “thee best.”
Derek Brunson humorously noted, “Derrick Lewis just Derrick Lewis-Ed.” Meanwhile, Belal Muhammad commented, “Black beast still got it!!” and pondered if a lighter Lewis could defend against Aspinall’s takedowns.
Zac Pauga supported the stoppage, arguing that fouling to keep a fight going shouldn’t be rewarded. On the flip side, Mairon Santos expressed frustration, tweeting in Portuguese that the interruption was premature and fighters should be allowed to fight.
And so, the debate rages on. But one thing’s for sure: Derrick Lewis remains a force to be reckoned with in the octagon.