Derrick Lewis will cash a check against anyone. Tallison Teixeira seeks to expedite his rise by beating a heavyweight stalwart. Their clashing philosophies meet at UFC Fight Night in Nashville on Saturday.
Lewis (28-12, 1 NC) has carved his niche in mixed martial arts. “The Black Beast” is the record holder for most UFC knockouts and has fought twice for UFC gold. Most fighters are obsessed with being a champion, but Lewis’ outlook is refreshingly grounded. Lewis, 40, does not care who stands across from him so long as he’s getting paid. MMA is prize fighting after all.
“It’s always been the number one thing, even when I started,” Lewis told CBS Sports. “I was fighting every other month before I was in the UFC. That’s how I’d pay my rent. My rent was $525 a month. I’d fight every other month, $500 to show and $500 to win. That’s how we’d make ends meet.
“I never care who’s next. So long as I get to fight, it’s all I care about.”
Check out the full interview with Derrick Lewis below.
Teixeira (8-0) is the latest rookie testing himself against the KO artist. Teixeira enters UFC Fight Night as the betting favorite despite having five times less experience than Lewis. What little we’ve seen from the towering heavyweight, whose reach exceeds Alexander Volkov’s, is impressive. Teixeira has racked up eight consecutive first-round KOs, recently stopping Justin Tafa in 35 seconds. He’s already ranked No. 13 in the shallow heavyweight division. Beating 11-year veteran Lewis likely ranks him in the top 10 after only two Octagon appearances.
“Training for Derrick was different than ever before. It was very intense,” Teixeira told CBS Sports through a Portuguese interpreter. “He’s a tough opponent. When heavyweights connect with four-ounce gloves, you go out. He’s very dangerous.
“Look at how tall and strong I am. I think I can be a bigger problem for him than everyone has ever been.”
Saturday’s main event won’t jump off the page but should produce a great KO. Fortunately, it’s supported by intriguing main card fights. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson fends off Gabriel Bonfim. Steve Garcia and Calvin Kattar promises great MMA boxing. Beloved brawler Nate Landwehr is also on the card.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday with the latest odds before we predict the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Tallison Teixeira -280 | Derrick Lewis +210 | Heavyweight |
| Gabriel Bonfim -410 | Stephen Thompson +320 | Welterweight |
| Steve Garcia -125 | Calvin Kattar +105 | Featherweight |
| Morgan Charriere -270 | Nate Landwehr +220 | Featherweight |
| Vitor Petrino -750 | Austen Lane +525 | Heavyweight |
| Junior Tafa – 162 | Tuco Tokkos +136 | Light heavyweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: July 12 | Start time: 9 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Bridgestone Arena — Nashville
TV channel: ESPN | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Prediction
Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira: The evolution of Teixeira’s footwork is paramount to how this fight looks. Teixeira’s reach and power will cause issues if Lewis can’t close the distance. Just look at Lewis’ fight with Volkov. Teixeira’s finishing ability means Lewis must enter range carefully. If “The Black Beast” gets in close, he’ll have ample room to fire big shots through his opponent’s guard. It’s tough assessing a young fighter who has never gone past the first round. How will fatigue affect Teixeira late? Will his power carry late? Are his skills refined enough to execute backup plans? With so many questions about an unproven commodity, I’m inclined to side with Lewis. Make no mistake, though, Teixeira is capable of an early finish. Lewis via KO3
