UFC Nashville headliner Talison Teixeira believes that either he or the Brazilian heavyweight will dethrone Tom Aspinall. The main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night presents a chance for fresh contenders to break into the heavyweight title scene, part of Dana White’s Candidate Series.
After Teixeira’s impressive 35-second knockout debut against Justin Tafa, the 25-year-old prospect has earned a significant opportunity to face multi-time title challenger Derrick Lewis. With a victorious night in Nashville, “Xicao” aims to quickly climb the ranks toward the heavyweight championship.
In an interview with MMA Fighting ahead of his second UFC fight and the main event, Teixeira shared his plan to swiftly ascend to heavyweight gold. Following a win over Lewis—who holds the record for the most UFC knockouts—”Xicao” hopes to challenge fighters like Curtis Blaydes and Sergei Pavlovich, setting up a possible title shot by 2026.
Once reaching the summit, Teixeira is confident he can claim the title from Aspinall, provided another contender hasn’t beaten him to it. “Now that Jon Jones has retired and the division is progressing, I hope to fight for the belt by the end of next year,” Teixeira said. “I want to fight Derrick now, then again this year, and hope to challenge for the belt next year.”
Teixeira pointed to Jailton Almeida (nicknamed “Marhadinho”) as the only one who could potentially stop him. “I don’t see Cyril Gane getting past him, nor Sergei. So, Marhadinho is the most likely to win. It’s great if the belt stays in Brazil somehow—if Marhadinho doesn’t get it, I will.”
If Almeida gets his chance in the Octagon, he still has to prove himself among the contenders. Since Jon Jones’ retirement and Aspinall’s rise as the undisputed heavyweight champ, Almeida has been vocal about challenging Aspinall. However, another contender, possibly Cyril Gane, has also entered the conversation.
The Brazilian recently announced a win on X (formerly Twitter) and hinted at the third title eliminator bout against Aspinall’s next opponent, Alexander Volkov. “Good news coming,” Almeida wrote.
If the upcoming contenders face off, it seems “Bon Gamin” (Gane) might be the most viable challenger for Aspinall in the near future.
Fan Take: This evolving heavyweight landscape is thrilling for fight fans, as new contenders like Teixeira and Almeida shake up the division. The potential for fresh rivalries and a changing of the guard makes the heavyweight division one to watch, promising exciting matchups and a dynamic future for the sport.
