Latest news with #DerrickLewis
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Derrick Lewis chatted with President Trump after knockout win on UFC Nashville card
The post-victory celebration has become a calling card for UFC all-time knockout leader Derrick Lewis. But despite a handful of now-legendary moments in the aftermath of his previous wins, none has topped what followed his highlight-reel first-round knockout over undefeated Tallison Teixeira in the main event of UFC's Fight Night from Nashville on July 12 at Bridgestone Arena. After his signature pound against the canvas and stripping of the shorts, Lewis hopped on the phone with President Donald Trump, thanks to some assistance from UFC president and CEO Dana White. "(It ranks) probably No. 1," Lewis said of the celebration. "Just because the president had called me. We started talking about business and I told him wait until I get to the White House and we'll really talk. It was pretty cool to have the president talk to me." More: Former heavyweight champion Oliver McCall fights to draw in Nashville with Shannon Briggs ringside Lewis (29-12) made his case to feature on a proposed summer 2026 UFC card that White and Trump are working to bring to the White House, an event virtually every fighter on the card expressed interest in being a part of. White said while Trump wasn't able to attend Nashville's event in person, he was tuned in, and when Lewis asked White to put him on the phone, he did his part. The celebration was in the aftermath of Lewis' record-extending 16th career UFC knockout, which came just 35 seconds into his bout against the 6-foot-7 Teixeira. Lewis had entered as an underdog after 14 months out of the octagon. Teixeira (8-1) had begun his career with eight first-round finishes, but it was Lewis who blitzed him out of the gate, landing a thunderous left hand to the chin that sent Teixeira tumbling to the ground, where Lewis would finish the show. "I was acting like something was in my eye and I was waiting for him to get a little closer," Lewis said in the post-fight news conference. "I was really trying to sell it . . . and that's what happened. I caught him." Nashville crowd shows up in full force It had been nearly two years since the UFC's previous trip to Nashville, and more than 17,000 fans packed into Bridgestone Arena to see the action, generating $2.2 million at the gate, according to White. While Lewis hails from Houston, he believes the Nashville crowd rivals any he has fought in front of, including his hometown fans. "It's crazy. It was too loud," he said. "It got louder than the Houston crowd, so it was pretty cool." Nashville has emerged as a combat sports destination this summer, with the PFL's World Tournament in June before bare knuckle boxing debuted in Tennessee later that month. And White believes Nashville is a location the UFC will continually look to return to after another successful show. "We will get back to Nashville as much as possible . . . (the fans) don't play here, man. If you start grappling for 30 seconds they go crazy," White said. "They want to see knockdown, drag 'em out fights here and (it's) obviously a very educated crowd. Everything about Nashville is fun, including the crowd." Harrison Campbell covers combat sports for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@ and follow him on Twitter @hccamp. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: UFC: Derrick Lewis calls President Trump after first-round knockout win
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Speculation Grows Alex Pereira Moving to UFC Heavyweight Division: 5 Perfect Debut Opponents, Including Derrick Lewis
Could Alex Pereira be headed to heavyweight? In a recent post on Instagram, the former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion revealed his current weight was 243 pounds. While he has always been large for both 185 and 205 pounds, it is still surprising that he is at such a high weight. With no clear path back to the Octagon, he could just be enjoying the time in between fights and will start dropping weight if a scrap gets booked. Or, as some fans online are suggesting, he may be preparing his body for a move to heavyweight. It is something he has suggested he would be open to in the past, and it would offer him the chance to be the first person in UFC history to win titles in three divisions. If such a scenario did come to pass, let's look at three perfect opponents for his heavyweight debut. Derrick Lewis After a pair of recent wins, Derrick Lewis is right back in the thick of the top 10 at heavyweight. He is one of the most popular fighters in division history, so a matchup with Pereira could headline a major event. Possibly for a new heavyweight BMF title. While Pereira is a way more skilled striker, Lewis is, arguably, the hardest puncher in UFC history. All he would need is one good shot to put the former two-division champ to sleep. Also Read: Tom Aspinall The fight many fans would love to see is the new undisputed heavyweight king, Tom Aspinall, versus Pereira. They are probably the two most skilled fighters who weigh 205 pounds or more. Watching the chess match of how the Englishman deals with the Brazilian's striking, and how 'Poatan' combats the heavyweight athleticism and grappling, is must-see television. Also Read: Jailton Almeida Jailton Almeida is maybe the best grappler at heavyweight. If he can get by Alexander Volkov in October, he could be in line for a title fight next. But if he loses, a clash with a debuting Alex Pereira would make sense. It would be a classic striker versus grappler clash between two high-level Brazilian fighters. Also Read: Alexander Volkov If Volkov beats Almeida at UFC 321, a title fight is also likely in his future. However, if he falls, the visual of Pereira taking on the 6-foot-7 heavyweight star is fascinating. 'Poatan' often has the range advantage over his foes. How does he deal with the shoe being on the other foot and his foe having heavyweight power? Also Read: Francis Ngannou This is an absolute longshot, but there have been a lot of rumblings about former champion Francis Ngannou making a return to the UFC. One has to wonder if his PFL contract ends soon. The company bringing him back in a super-fight with Pereira would be a big money fight between two scary strikers who go about knocking out foes out in very different ways. Also Read: Related Headlines 'Can't Just Trade Everybody': Phillies Owner John Middleton Opens Up About Deadline Approach 'All-Time Low': Pirates Reporter Reveals Why Bryan Reynolds Won't Be Traded at Deadline '1 Percent Chance': Pirates Reporter Shares Bleak Take on Paul Skenes Extension Prospects Yankees Expected 'To Get After It' Before Trade Deadline: 6 Blockbuster Trade Targets, Including Chris Sale
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hear from Dana White, Derrick Lewis following UFC Fight Night in Nashville
Hear from Dana White and Derrick Lewis following UFC Fight Night in Nashville, where Lewis scored a first-round TKO over Tallison Teixeira.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, July 15: Welcome to the chart, Valter Walker
The UFC touched down in "Music City" with heavyweights at the top of the bill. Derrick Lewis took out the unbeaten Tallison Teixeira in 35 seconds – though it came with some controversy for a supposed early stoppage. What effect did that have on Lewis' spot in the heavyweight top 15? One heavyweight who has made a quick impact is Valter Walker. His third straight first-round UFC stoppage win – and third straight by heel hook, a new record – has him onto the chart for the first time and no doubt looking to make a fast climb. Check out all the latest moves in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA rankings.
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
What We Saw, Heard, And Felt At UFC Nashville
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JULY 12: (R-L) Derrick Lewis punches Tallison Teixeira of Brazil in a ... More heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Bridgestone Arena on July 12, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) UFC Nashville delivered knockouts, chaos, controversy, and a crowd that reminded us why stateside UFC Fight Nights are good for the sport. From the early prelims to Derrick Lewis' main event moment, the card was a snapshot of what makes Fight Nights on U.S. soil arguably the purest presentation of MMA. Here's what we saw, heard, and what fans and media in attendance felt inside Bridgestone Arena. What We Saw at UFC Nashville Lewis extended his own record for KOs in the UFC with a first-round finish of Tallison Teixeira, though it didn't come without controversy (more on that later). Lewis' power is undeniable, and because of it, he has a chance against any opponent. Here is a look at the finish. Lewis D/X chopped and launched imaginary arrows at Teixeira immediately after the finish. He also removed his shorts and mooned the crowd. We also saw Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson suffer one of the nastiest gashes on his leg that you'll ever see during his co-main event clash with Gabriel Bonfim. I know this is the 'see' portion, but rather than simply embedding it here, I'll give you the option to look at this image if you can stomach it. It was ugly, but what was most amazing was Thompson's toughness. Not only did the 43-year-old veteran fight on, he didn't even stop throwing kicks with the lacerated leg. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JULY 12: Stephen Thompson kicks Gabriel Bonfim of Brazil in a welterweight ... More fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Bridgestone Arena on July 12, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Unbelievable. Nate Landwehr is a walking Fight of the Night bonus, and he has the ability to pull anyone into his world. He did that on Saturday but was reduced to rubble in the process as Morgan Charriere proved to be too athletic and explosive for Landwehr. Charriere added a devastating finish to his highlight reel to go with his share of the Fight of the Night bonus both fighters earned. Here is the insane finish in the third the third fight in a row, Walker has defeated an opponent by heel hook. I've been covering MMA for nearly 20 years and I cannot recall another fighter with back-to-back wins by heel hook—let alone three straight. Here's his latest heel capture. It's an amazing run and should lead to Walker receiving an official ranking in the heavyweight division this week. If Fatima Kline was looking for a standout performance with a memorable moment, she got it on Saturday and also set the tone for the evening with her vicious head-kick KO win over Melissa Martinez. In case you missed it, it was a Performance of the Night winner. What We Heard at UFC Nashville The crowd in Nashville was electric. So much so that the city should be on the UFC's radar to visit twice a year, and the top non-titleholding American fighters should be in the main and co-main events. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JULY 12: A general view of the Octagon during the UFC Fight Night event at ... More Bridgestone Arena on July 12, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) The UFC has been running a program featuring artists' music during pay-per-views and Fight Nights and I don't think it's getting enough UFC Nashville, the broadcast played A Thousand Tons, a track from a metal band called Chained Saint, several times. If you're unaware of the band and the track, here's a look at the lyric video. The opening lyrics of the song say, 'you ought to know by now that there's no stopping us.' That line makes the song wildly appropriate as a theme for an event with eight stoppage wins—many that were pretty devastating. The band has several songs on their album Blindside that seem like a perfect fit as entrance music for a WWE Superstar. All in all, it was a strong pioneer and former women's flyweight title challenger Lauren Murphy retired in the Octagon following a unanimous decision loss to Eduarda Moura. Murphy addressed the crowd with a heartfelt message after the fight as she laid her gloves in the center of the Octagon. She thanked herself during the Octagon interview. The 41-year-old walked away from the UFC with a 16-7 record. What We Felt During and After UFC Nashville A lot of the talk after the co-main event was about Wonderboy's gashed leg, but should we have talked more about that decision going Bonfim's way? There's a good argument to be made that Wonderboy won the second and third rounds. Ashx_MMA put together a solid breakdown explaining why he scored the fight for Wonderboy. He definitely took the second, as he nearly knocked the talented Brazilian out with a bananas head kick. Wonderboy didn't complain—but then again, he never does. I'm not sure about this one. I had it for Wonderboy too. Lewis won in the main event via TKO, but many—including me—believe referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight prematurely. UFC President Dana White also felt the stoppage was 'a little fast.' Teixeira is a talented 25-year-old heavyweight. He was hurt, but I thought he got back to his feet pretty quickly. Herzog seemed to call it after Teixeira mistakenly hit him during the stand-up. In case you missed it, here are the results from the event. UFC Nashville Results
