Derrick Lewis, the undisputed king of UFC knockouts by volume, added another finish to his record at UFC Nashville. His main event bout against Tallison Teixeira concluded in just 35 seconds of the opening round, resulting in an official Technical Knockout victory for Lewis. However, the speed of the finish was quickly overshadowed by debate regarding its timing and the referee`s decision.
The brief exchange began with Lewis appearing momentarily compromised, possibly from a strike or an accidental foul. Demonstrating his signature `Black Beast` style, Lewis immediately responded by throwing powerful, less-than-technical strikes in volume. As Lewis recovered, his heavy hands found their mark.
A hard punch visibly stunned Teixeira, putting him on unsteady legs. As Lewis pressed his advantage, Teixeira scrambled to maintain his composure and position, ultimately resorting to grabbing the fence with both hands in an attempt to stay upright and maneuver away from the incoming punches – a clear foul.
It was at this critical juncture, with Teixeira actively holding the fence while seemingly trying to recover and re-establish himself, that referee Jason Herzog stepped in and waved off the fight. The decision was immediate and, for many observers, premature.
The sudden stoppage, particularly coming right as Teixeira illegally grabbed the fence but was not yet fully incapacitated on the canvas, drew significant reaction from the mixed martial arts community. Fighters and analysts took to social media to voice their surprise and disagreement, with common sentiment echoing the idea that it was a “horrible time” to halt the contest, suggesting Teixeira deserved a moment longer to recover or that the fence grab warranted a different type of intervention, such as a verbal warning or a point deduction later, rather than an immediate fight stoppage.
Despite the controversy surrounding the conclusion, the win officially stands as a TKO for Derrick Lewis. This result extends his UFC record for the most knockouts to 16. Furthermore, this stoppage ties him with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone for the third-most finishes in UFC history across all methods, trailing only Jim Miller (17) and Charles Oliveira (20). Thus, Lewis continues to etch his name in the record books, even if this particular entry arrived under peculiar circumstances.
