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Derrick Lewis returns to fight undefeated 6'7' knockout monster

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated May 20, 2025 7:30 AM ET

It's official, Derrick Lewis is set to return to the UFC Octagon in a main event heavyweight clash.

It's been a while, 'The Black Beast' hasn't competed since May 2024. Since then, he's had two cancellations against Alexandr Romanov and Jhonata Diniz, the latter of which Lewis pulled out on extremely short notice.

Lewis gets the opportunity to build a win streak when he steps in the Octagon again for a heavyweight main event on July 12.

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UFC confirms Derrick Lewis' next fight as surging contender Tallison Teixeira

UFC officially announced Lewis's next fight on May 19. He'll be fighting the towering Tallison Teixeira, one of the breakthrough stars of 2024 in the main event of UFC Nashville.

The fight is officially confirmed after being first reported by Laerte Viana in April.

Nashville, we are BACK @TheBeast_UFC vs Tallison Teixeira headlines #UFCNashville on July 12! pic.twitter.com/PafMuuHylj
— UFC (@ufc) May 19, 2025

Teixeira debuted with a 35-second knockout over Justin Tafa in February, after scoring a knockout on Dana White's Contender Series. 'Xicao' hasn't left the first round in his professional career, knocking out or submitting every man before him.

He gets a tall test in his second UFC fight, but undoubtedly has a strong tailwind; Rarely do 1-0 UFC fighters get a main event in their second fight.

Lewis currently holds the record for all-time UFC knockouts, with 15; he'll have the opportunity to further distance himself with another emphatic finish.

He last fought Rodrigo Nascimento on May 11, 2024, where he showed classic Lewis grit, enduring a tough fight for two rounds before finding the finish in the third.