Derrick Lewis, the UFC’s knockout machine, made headlines at UFC Nashville on July 12, 2025. Facing Tallison Teixeira at Bridgestone Arena, Lewis landed a heavy left hand, dropping his opponent in just 35 seconds. Referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight, but former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen believes it was a mistake. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen said:
“You have to watch the ending of that fight, fairly closely to see this. But there is a clear rule infraction not once, but twice, with the grabbing of the fence.”
WILD celebration from Derrick Lewis after stopping Tallison Teixeira in Rd. 1. at UFC Nashville 😆🤣 pic.twitter.com/aZxyI6KONH
— Clement (@88cIement) July 13, 2025
Lewis’ Heavyweight Legacy
Lewis, now 29-12 with one no-contest, holds the UFC record for most knockouts at 16, tied with Donald Cerrone for total finishes. Since joining the UFC in 2014, he’s faced top heavyweights like Daniel Cormier and Ciryl Gane but never won a title. His recent record has been spotty, going 2-4 in his last six fights before Teixeira, with his latest win a third-round knockout of Rodrigo Nascimento in May 2024.
The Teixeira fight ended fast. Lewis rocked the Brazilian, who grabbed the cage illegally to stand. Herzog stopped the bout, ruling a TKO. Sonnen argued the stoppage was meant to address the foul, not end the fight.
“It changed the position, got him back up to his feet. A lot of times a referee will let an exchange finish and then make a ruling. Not in a case like that when you lose position, the ref has to step in right then and put Teixeira down, put the Black Beast on top of him, and they’ll continue from there,” Sonnen said. “I don’t think he intended to call that a TKO, I don’t think he intended to stop that fight.”
Sonnen shared his theory on the call.
“My own conspiracy, but I believe he was stopping the action to offer discipline, 1 point for the fence grab. Derrick starts celebrating, crowd starts reacting…all the makings of a TKO and my own belief is that they just went with it. I believe that’s what I saw! They called it an early stoppage because, well yeah, it wasn’t supposed to be a stoppage,” he said.
The controversy didn’t slow Lewis, who celebrated by removing his shorts, mimicking urination toward Teixeira’s corner, and tossing his cup into the stands.
Teixeira, now 8-1, aimed for a top-15 spot after knocking out Justin Tafa in 35 seconds at UFC 312 in February 2025. Lewis halted his rise, reinforcing his gatekeeper role. With Tom Aspinall as the undisputed heavyweight champion after Jon Jones’ retirement, Lewis could face Shamil Gaziev or Waldo Cortes-Acosta next, though no bouts are confirmed.
The early stoppage debate lingers, but Lewis’ knockout power remains undeniable. At 40, he continues to make waves in the heavyweight division, and his next fight will keep him in the spotlight.
