by Las Vegas – 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)
