HEAVYWEIGHT KNOCKOUT ARTISTS
(#9) DERRICK LEWIS AND (#14) TALLISON TEIXEIRA HEADLINE UFC® RETURN TO NASHVILLE
FEATURED BOUT:
(#15) CALVIN KATTAR vs. STEVE GARCIA
UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: LEWIS vs. TEIXEIRA
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 30
UFC® returns to Nashville with a clash of heavyweight knockout artists as former world title challenger and current No. 9 ranked contender Derrick Lewis battles No. 14 Tallison Teixeira. Also, fan favorite No. 15 ranked featherweight contender Calvin Kattar takes on Steve Garcia.
UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: LEWIS vs. TEIXEIRA takes place Sat., July 12 at Bridgestone Arena. The entire card will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as in English and Spanish on ESPN+, starting with the prelims at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: LEWIS vs. TEIXEIRA tickets will go on sale Fri., May 30 at 10 a.m. CT and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wed., May 28 at 10 a.m. CT via the website UFCFightClub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thurs., May 29 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC KO king Lewis (28-12, 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) aims to add to his record 15 UFC knockouts with another highlight-reel stoppage. Stepping into his 10th UFC main event, Lewis has consistently entertained fans with his finishes of Curtis Blaydes, Alexander Volkov and Rodrigo Nascimento. He now looks to defend his spot in the rankings from another rising prospect with a dominant showcase.
Dana White’s Contender Series standout Teixeira (8-0, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) plans to make the most of his first UFC main event with a spectacular upset. Undefeated with an impressive 100 percent first-round finishing rate, Teixeira proved he has what it takes to compete with the best in the world with victories over Justin Tafa and Arthur Lopes. He now has his sights set on taking out Lewis in the biggest opportunity of his career.
Kattar (23-9, fighting out of Methuen, Mass.) makes his second Octagon appearance of 2025. The owner of five Fight of the Night bonuses, he holds notable wins over Giga Chikadze, Dan Ige and Jeremy Stephens. Now, Kattar is determined to deliver a vintage performance by going toe-to-toe with Garcia.
Garcia (17-5, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) intends to extend his winning streak and break into the featherweight rankings. He is currently tied for the fourth most consecutive knockouts in UFC history with five, including those over Kyle Nelson, Melquizael Costa and Chase Hooper. Garcia now looks to make his biggest statement yet by finishing Kattar.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Jake Matthews (21-7, fighting out of Epping, Victoria, Australia) clashes with Chidi Njokuani (25-10, 1NC, fighting out of Garland, Texas) in a thrilling welterweight contest
- Light heavyweight action sees Junior Tafa (6-3, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia) take on Tuco Tokkos (10-5, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of London, England)
- Dana White’s Contender Series alum Ateba Gautier (7-1, fighting out of Yaounde, Cameroon) looks for another impressive KO when he faces Robert Valentin (11-5, 1NC, fighting out of Zurich, Switzerland)
- Vitor Petrino (11-2, fighting out of Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais, Brazil) makes his heavyweight debut against Austen Lane (13-6, 1NC, fighting out of Jacksonville, Fla.)
- Max Griffin (20-11, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) makes his first Octagon appearance of 2025 as he welcomes Chris Curtis (31-12, 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) back to the welterweight division
- Strawweight prospects lock horns as Fatima Kline (7-1, fighting out of Hyde Park, N.Y.) battles Melissa Martinez (8-1, fighting out of Mexico City, Mexico)
- Former flyweight title challenger Lauren Murphy (16-6, fighting out of Denver, Colo., by way of Houston, Texas) returns against Eduarda Moura (11-1, fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil)
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit UFC.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and approximately 266 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 900 million households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
About Bridgestone Arena
Serving as the home for numerous national and international events, Bridgestone Arena has the distinction of being one of the busiest venues in the United States since the doors first opened in 1996, hosting more than 28 million guests during that time. The NHL’s Nashville Predators have been the primary tenants of Bridgestone Arena since 1998 and boast one of the most unique game atmospheres in the NHL. The list of acts that have called the 2021 Pollstar Arena of the Decade nominee home is lengthy and includes the Country Music Association Awards, the Country Music Television Awards and the SEC Basketball Tournament through 2035. Bridgestone Arena has 16 consecutive and 19 overall nominations for the Pollstar Magazine Arena Year of the Award, winning the award in 2014, 2017 and 2023.
About ESPN+
https://espnpressroom.com/us/espnplus/
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.