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Best UFC Nashville knockout artists not-named Derrick Lewis

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 1:49 PM ET

The UFC’s all-time knockout leader is in action this weekend at UFC Nashville, but there’s also a few other fighters that could bring fans to their feet with a highlight-reel finish.

Taking place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, UFC Nashville is headlined by a heavyweight clash between top contenders Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira, who is competing in a UFC main event in his second Octagon bout after stopping Justin Tafa in just 35 seconds at UFC 312.

Teixeira will try to keep climbing the heavyweight rankings when he meets Lewis, who added to his record number of UFC knockouts in his last outing when he finished Rodrigo Nascimento early in the third round at UFC St. Louis.

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Outside of the two heavy-hitters in the main event, here are three fighters that are potential threats to score jaw-dropping knockouts at UFC Nashville.

Steve Garcia

Following a 1-2 start to his UFC career, Garcia will try to finally break into the featherweight rankings at UFC Nashville when he meets longtime divisional staple Calvin Kattar.

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“Mean Machiine” enters the night on a five-fight win streak where he’s finished every single opponent he’s faced with strikes.

Kattar has never been knocked out in his MMA career, but ending that streak while extending his own finishing run would be an incredible way for Garcia to break into the featherweight Top 15.

Junior Tafa

Former GLORY kickboxer Junior Tafa will step into the cage as a light heavyweight for the first time on Saturday opposite Tuco Tokkos.

The younger brother of Justin, Tafa joined the UFC in 2023 after knocking out his first four MMA opponents but ran into a tough stylistic matchup with Mohammed Usman and dropped a unanimous decision in his promotional debut.

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Both of Tafa’s UFC wins have also come via strikes, and after going 2-3 in the heavyweight division “The Juggernaut” will hope to carry the same knockout power at 205 lbs. against Tokkos, who is still searching for his first Octagon victory.

Kennedy Nzechukwu

While Tafa is hoping that a drop in weight will revitalize his UFC career, Nzechukwu’s decision to move up to the heavyweight division has already paid off in a big way.

Nzechukwu earned a UFC contract with a first-round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, and four of his six wins in the promotion’s light heavyweight division also came via strikes.

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Back-to-back losses to Dustin Jacoby and Ovince St. Preux encouraged “African Savage” to move up in weight last year, and Nzechukwu immediately announced himself to the division with first-round knockouts against Chris Barnett and Łukasz Brzeski.