The UFC returns to Nashville this weekend with a Fight Night card headlined by a meeting of heavyweight knockout artists.
On paper, Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira might be one of the least likely matchups to require five rounds since Lewis is the UFC’s all-time leader in knockout wins while Teixeira is a perfect 8-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career with eight first-round wins, the past seven of which have come by knockout or technical knockout.
The 12-bout event also features a welterweight co-main event between two-time title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and 17-1 rising talent Gabriel Bonfim, plus a fan-friendly featherweight clash between Calvin Kattar and Steve Garcia.
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Heavyweight knockout artists Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira headline the UFC’s return to Nashville. Watch UFC Fight Night action on Saturday, July 12 on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+ with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
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It was mostly smooth sailing at Friday’s weigh-in with only one fighter missing the target.
Chidi Njokuani was half a pound over the non-title welterweight limit ahead of his matchup with Jake Matthews, which will proceed at a catchweight.
Njokuani, who weighed 171.5 pounds, has now missed weight in three consecutive outings. The 36-year-old missed weight by 1.5 pounds ahead of his wins over Jared Gooden this past October and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos four months ago. Njokuani competed as a middleweight in the UFC prior to 2024. Earlier in his career, Njokuani missed weight an additional six separate times ahead of scheduled welterweight bouts.
Below is the projected bout order for UFC Nashville plus full predictions for the 12-fight card…
— Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira
— Stephen Thompson vs. Gabriel Bonfim
— Calvin Kattar vs. Steve Garcia
— Nate Landwehr vs. Morgan Charriere
— Vitor Petrino vs. Austen Lane
— Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos
— Max Griffin vs. Chris Curtis
— Jake Matthews vs. Chidi Njokuani
— Lauren Murphy vs. Eduarda Moura
— Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Valter Walker
— Mitch Ramirez vs. Mike Davis
— Fatima Kline vs. Melissa Martinez
Ahead of each UFC event in 2025, UFC reporter Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter), producer Dan Fernandes (@DanFernandes__) and writer/editor Mike Johnston (@MikeyJ_MMA) will peruse the odds and make four betting predictions using fantasy dollars: one best bet, one favourite, one underdog and one dart throw wager. REMINDER: Sportsnet is committed to promoting and educating audiences about the importance of betting responsibly. Sources for responsible gambling can be found HERE.
Cage Lock: Lewis vs. Teixeira does not go the distance -1667
Favourite: Chidi Njokuani -149
Underdog: Tuco Tokkos +150
Dart Throw: Austen Lane +500
Would I be shocked if Lewis and Teixeira go the distance? Yes. I want a lock and this, essentially, is one. … Matthews has improved his striking, but not to the level of Njokuani, who will frustrate Matthews with his length and should be able to beat him on the feet. … Conversely, Tafa needs to keep the fight with Tokkos standing and if Tokkos can get it to the ground, I am uncertain Tafa has an answer. … Lane looked good in his last fight against Mario Pinto before he got stopped and with the volatility of the heavyweight division, I love Lane as a dart throw.
Cage Lock: Mike Davis -900
Favourite: Morgan Charriere -275
Underdog: Tuco Tokkos +150
Dart Throw: Valter Walker by submission +650
Who doesn’t enjoy Nate Landwehr fight weeks?! I expect Landwehr to go down swinging on Saturday night but this bout with Morgan Charriere should be a fun one. … Tokkos is winless in two UFC bouts but Junior Tafa has been consistently inconsistent and there is a real possibility of an upset here. Tokkos is coming off respectable losses to Navajo Stirling and Oumar Sy. Both of those opponents are better than Tafa in my opinion, so if Tokkos can shake off the self-doubt, he should be in line for his first UFC win. … Kennedy Nzechukwu has struggled against opponents who are bigger than him. Valter Walker has two straight submission wins and poses a serious threat for a third if he can impose his will in this fight. … I don’t see a scenario where Mike Davis doesn’t get his hand raised. He probably keeps it out of the judges’ hands, but even if it goes to scorecards there isn’t too much MMA evidence to suggest a massive upset here.
Cage Lock: Fatima Kline -1000
Favourite: Steve Garcia -125
Underdog: Derrick Lewis +240
Dart Throw: Chris Curtis by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 3 +1400
It is entirely possible the main event ends within a few minutes and Teixeira has a significant height, reach and youth advantage that could give Lewis serious issues – not to mention elbows from the clinch that he used to beat Justin Tafa that were similar to the elbow Tai Tuivasa used to finish Lewis in 2022 – but the combined record of Teixeira’s opponents so far is just 22-24. Lewis has almost as many main event knockout wins at the UFC level than Teixeira has professional fights. You give me Derrick Lewis at these odds against an unproven heavyweight with zero notable wins on his record, I’m riding with Lewis all day long even though he’s 40 and his best fighting days are behind him. … It’s entirely possible this line on Steve Garcia is a trap, and Kattar should be his toughest challenge to date, but I don’t think Garcia’s hot streak is a fluke. … Kline and Martinez have similar one-loss pro records yet Kline looks like she operates at a higher level overall and should have a significant advantage on the ground. … Interested to see how Chris Curits looks back down at welterweight in a winnable matchup.
Three legs: Lewis vs. Teixeira ends inside distance + Davis + Kline
Parlay odds: -338 (to win: $29.56)
2025 STANDINGS AFTER 22 EVENTS
2025 winnings: +$224.96 (on $100 bets)
AARON’S RECORDS/TOTALS (+8.74 units)
Cage Lock: 18-4 (-$8.37)
Favourite: 10-12 (-$652.79)
Underdog: 12-9-1 (+$885.24)
Dart throw: 5-17 (+$650)
DAN’S RECORDS/TOTALS (-8.63 units)
Cage Lock: 19-3 (+$73.93)
Favourite: 13-8-1 (-$157.73)
Underdog: 13-8-1 (+$760.24)
Dart throw: 1-20-1 (-$1,540)
MIKE’S RECORDS/TOTALS (-18.22 units)
Cage Lock: 16-6 (-$50.24)
Favourite: 13-9 (-$67.06)
Underdog: 8-12-2 (+$295)
Dart throw: 0-20-2 (-$2,000)
Cage Lock: The pick deemed to be the wager most likely to win regardless of what the odds look like. The Cage Locks parlay will combine Aaron’s, Dan’s and Mike’s respective best bet for each event.
Favourite: A fighter with winning odds shorter than -300 but not longer than -110. On chalkier cards with a dearth of available moneyline favourites that meet those criteria, prop bets are allowed to be selected.
Underdog: Any fighter with longer odds than their opponent’s.
Dart Throw: Any prop bet or moneyline wager with odds of +400 or longer.
(Betting odds above are via BetMGM, submitted at various times throughout week, and subject to change prior to the fights)
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