Tallison Teixeira is set to headline UFC Nashville against Derrick Lewis, aiming to break a Brazilian losing streak in main events, with hopes of becoming the first Brazilian to win a UFC main event in 2025.
Tallison Teixeira has a massive challenge coming up. He’s headlining a UFC card against Derrick Lewis in just his second octagon appearance. And guess what? He’s embracing the pressure to break a so-called “curse.”
Teixeira vs. Lewis is the main event for UFC Nashville on July 12. If Teixeira wins, he’ll be the first Brazilian to claim a UFC main event victory in 2025. Quite the feat, right?
So far, nine Brazilian fighters have tried and failed this year. Amanda Ribas, Renato Moicano, Gregory Rodrigues, and others have all fallen short.
Four of those losses were in championship bouts. Remember when “Poatan” lost the light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev in March? Yeah, that was rough. Moicano, Lopes, and Oliveira also had their gold dreams crushed.
Teixeira is optimistic, though. “I like this because I’ll be remembered as the man that ended the Brazilian curse,” he joked. He’s confident. “I’ll knock out Derrick Lewis,” he laughed. Bold words!
The last time Brazilians went winless in main events during the first half of the year was back in 2017. Bethe Correia, Jose Aldo, and others couldn’t clinch a win. That year, Amanda Nunes finally broke the streak in September.
“Brazilians need this after sad losses we had,” Teixeira said. He believes this victory could be the boost Brazilian MMA fans need. It’s extra motivation for him.
Teixeira’s on a roll, improving to 8-0 as a pro after a swift 35-second knockout of Justin Tafa in February. Meanwhile, Derrick Lewis has faced three Brazilians in a row, with mixed results.
So, will Teixeira break the curse? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: the stakes are high, and the excitement is real.