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Derrick Lewis celebrates his first-round win over Tallison Teixeira in Nashville.
On Saturday night in Nashville, Derrick Lewis extended his own record for most knockouts in UFC history with a first-round finish of Tallison Teixeira.
After momentarily appearing to be hurt, Lewis connected with a big overhand punch that sent Teixeira to the canvas, and ultimately led to referee Jason Herzog waiving off the fight.
Immediately after, Lewis went into his signature celebration, before unloading a series of imaginary arrows into his opponent, à la Alex Pereira, and firing off a DX-style crotch chop, but The Black Beast wasn’t done yet. He then proceeded to remove his shorts, drop down on all fours in front of Teixeira’s corner, and “mark his territory”.
The finish can be seen below:
The knockout, as well as Lewis’ full celebration, can be seen below, courtesy of the UFC’s YouTube:
Note: A replay of Lewis’ celebration can also be seen in his post-fight Octagon interview below.
As Lewis explained to Michael Chiesa, Chris Weidman, and Alan Jouban during a virtual appearance on the ESPN post-fight show, his decision to grab his eye early on in the bout was pure gamesmanship. While it appeared as though he may have perhaps caught a knuckle to the eye, the seasoned veteran was merely trying to play possum, much like he famously did against Junior Dos Santos in 2019.
The win now makes it two in a row for Lewis, who called out No. 6 ranked Waldo Cortes Acosta on the ESPN post-fight show.
Derrick Lewis Explains Savage Celebration
While Derrick Lewis’ decision to single out members of Teixeira’s corner post-win caught some fans off guard, The Black Beast revealed during his Octagon interview that Teixeira’s team had been talking trash all week.
“They been talking s*** all week man. Talking s*** all week. I can’t speak Portuguese but I know for sure they was talking shit.”
That would certainly explain why their staredown at the weigh-ins on Friday was so tense.
Lewis Speaks with Donald Trump Moments After Win
When the UFC’s commentary crew turned things over to Bruce Buffer at Bridgestone Arena following Derrick Lewis’ first-round win, The Black Beast was seen talking on the phone while standing in the middle of the Octagon.
Moments after referee Jason Herzog raised Lewis’ hand, the knockout artist turned and handed the phone back to Dana White. As Daniel Cormier revealed, Lewis was on the phone with US President Donald Trump.
With that in mind, don’t be surprised if the UFC’s knockout king winds up on the recently-announced card at the White House next summer.
Thompson-Bonfim Scorecards Draw Criticism in Nashville
While the judges weren’t needed for Saturday’s main event bout between Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira, the scoring in the co-main event bout between Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and Gabriel Bonfim has been a major source of debate.
The bout appeared to be tied 1-1 going into the third, with many fans feeling as though Thompson edged out the round with his striking. The judges, however, gave the round to Bonfim, who spent much of the round holding Thompson against the cage despite the latest criteria for scoring prioritizing damage over control.
Although not infallible, the Verdict community scorecards showed fans scored the second and third rounds in favor of Thompson.
Although Lewis’ KO is sure to be the talk of the town in MMA circles over the coming days, the Thompson-Bonfim scorecards will likely continue to face scrutiny.
Evan Bell Evan Bell is a sports journalist covering MMA for Heavy.com. He has been covering the UFC since 2011, with bylines dating back to before the UFC implemented its own rankings in 2013. More about Evan Bell
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