What’s next for Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira after UFC Nashville?

The UFC was in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, July 12, for a solid UFC Nashville card. The main event saw heavyweight contenders throw down as Derrick Lewis took on Tallison Teixeira.

Entering the fight, Lewis was coming off a TKO win over Rodrigo Nascimento back in May of 2024. Teixeira, meanwhile, was just 1-0 in the UFC with a TKO win over Justin Tafa in his debut.

Ultimately, it was Lewis who got the first-round TKO win, although the stoppage was a bit controversial. Following UFC Nashville, here is what I think should be next for the heavyweight contenders.

Derrick Lewis

Derrick Lewis is a fan favorite and could get a top-five opponent next and be a win away from a title shot. Lewis was able to pull off another big upset and remains a top-10 heavyweight.

Following the TKO win at UFC Nashville, Lewis should be able to return later this year. Given that he has never fought Tom Aspinall before, he could get close to a title shot. But, a logical next fight is to rematch Curtis Blaydes. Blaydes is coming off a controversial win, and he is not close to getting another crack at Aspinall. If Lewis wins, he would deserve a title shot, while Blaydes has a chance to avenge his loss.

Tallison Teixiera

Tallison Teixeira had a chance to be a top-10 heavyweight after UFC Nashville, but he suffered a knockout loss to Derrick Lewis. Texieira rocked Lewis early on, but the Brazilian got too aggressive and got caught.

Following the loss, Teixeira should get another ranked opponent and look to return to the win column. A fight that makes sense is Rizvan Kuniev. Kuniev lost his debut to Blaydes, but both deserve a ranked opponent. It would be a good test to see which fighter is the better prospect at heavyweight after they both lost to experienced heavyweights.