The UFC is heading to Nashville tonight for a massive 12 fight card. Headlined by 2 violent matchups between proven veterans and hyped prospects.
Derrick Lewis is looking for back to back wins and proves to be a tough test for Tallison Teixeira. Teixeira has garnered hype with his 100% finish rate.
The Co – Main Event will feature an interesting clash of styles as well. High level grappler Gabriel Bonfim is looking to pass the high level test of Veteran Stephen Thompson.
With a smooth weigh in, fans across the globe are highly anticipating the violence of the 12 fight card! Will we see the rise of the 2 highly touted Prospects?
It all goes down tonight and I have created this UFC Nashville Best Bets guide to provide deeper analysis on some of the big fights & provide our readers here at Betting News with the best gambling experience possible for UFC 317.
All betting odds are presented by BetOnline.ag as of 7/12/2025 at 11 a.m.
Check out the odds for the entire card at the best online sportsbooks available in the U.S.
UFC Nashville Main Event: Derrick Lewis vs Tallison Teixeira Analysis, Best Bet & Prediction
Heavyweight Matchup Of Veteran Derrick Lewis Taking The Prospect Teixeira
The UFC is bringing a hard hitting main event to Nashville tonight. Knock out king Derrick Lewis will be taking on the newcomer in Tallison Teixeira in a 5 round main event.
Lewis will be fighting in his 13th main event under the promotion with a 7-6 record. Despite his comments of hating 5 round fights, admittedly it probably will not matter anyways as he has only seen a 4th round once in his 40 fight career.
Earning the title of KO king, he has racked up 15 brutal Knockouts in the UFC. Gaining recognition as he is the record holder for most KO’s in UFC Heavyweight history.
He is one of the promotions longest tenured fighters with over 29 fights in his career. Earning just one title shot earlier in his career, he has mostly been a gate keeper to the division.
Collecting an impressive resume along the way he has fought 5 former or current UFC champions. Lewis has wins over some greats, but recently father time has come knocking for the “Black Beast”.
The durability and ambition have seemed to fade as of late. Lewis has been finished in 4 of his last 5 losses.
One thing that will never fade is his big right hand. Even at this stage in his career he is still winning fights by knockout, with wins in 23′ and 24′ over top prospects.
It is proven Lewis is a very dangerous opponent in any matchup. An important stat for this match up with 6’7 Teixeira is Lewis is 4-0 in fights where his opponent is 6’4 or taller.
Finding knock out success in those match ups, will Lewis be able to find a finishing blow over the prospect at this point in his career?
Will Prospect Teixeira Pass The Veteran Test At UFC Nashville?
Prospect Tallison Teixeira Looks To Make A Statement At UFC Nashville
Tallison Teixeira is making his main event debut in just his 2nd official fight in the UFC. With such a big stature for the Heavyweight division, the prospect stands at 6’7 with a massive 84.5” reach.
The prospect is still very green with only 8 fights in his career. Fighting out of Brazil he trains at Glover Teixeira’s gym Teixeira MMA, with great training partners like former champion Alex Pereira.
In his career he has a 100% finish rate, all coming in the 1st round of his fights. The prospects cardio and durability have hardly been tested with the amount of cage time he has.
A very dangerous striker, Teixeira is able to mix up his strikes to provide different looks. The power behind his big stature has been what shines through, with 7 straight knockout wins.
His grappling has rarely been tested yet he has shown the wrinkle in his game. Collecting a submission victory in his very first fight, the prospect proved he is equally as dangerous on the ground.
Striking defense does not seem to be a priority for Teixeira. Often winging big punches with his chin up in the air, paying for it a few times but never being finished.
This is a massive step up in competition for the prospect after a quick 1st round KO in February. It remains to be seen if he is biting off a little more then he can chew with this matchup against Lewis.
Both fighters are very willing to meet in the middle and brawl it out. Neither have history of seeing later rounds, in my opinion this fight has violence written all over it.
UFC Nashville Main Event: Derrick Lewis vs Tallison Teixeira Prediction: Derrick Lewis Wins (+270) at Betonline
UFC Nashville Main Event: Derrick Lewis vs Tallison Teixeira Best Bet: Under 1.5 Total Rounds (-200) at Betonline
Before we get the rest of the UFC Nashville betting breakdown, die-hard and casual MMA bettors will want to check out BetOnline’s sports bonus promotion. If you use the promo code ‘FREE250’ when making your first-ever deposit of at least $50, BetOnline will match 50% of that up to $250. That means a $100 deposit will leave you with $150 to play with in no time. Not only that, but you’ll also receive 100 casino free spins!
What are you waiting for? Take advantage of this promo to get the most out of your UFC Nashville betting experience!
Check out the best sportsbooks in the United States!
UFC Nashville Co – Main Event: Gabriel Bonfim vs Stephen Thompson Analysis, Best Bet, & Prediction
Exciting Welterweight Co – Main Event
The Co – Main Event of UFC Nashville will se a clash of styles. Veteran Stephen Thompson takes on the highly touted prospect in Gabriel Bonfim.
Thompson has been a staple of the welterweight division for 13 years now. With 20 fights under the promotion Thompson has created an impressive resume.
Proving to be a very dangerous kickboxer in his tenure. His karate style has given problems to some UFC greats.
Father time has come to collect on Thompson as of late, being 1-4 in his last 5. The run has included 2 straight finish losses, one by knockout and one by sub.
Durability has began to become a problem for Thompson. Being knocked out twice in in his career but being very hurt in multiple other fights.
Takedown defense has never been an issue for him though, despite not being a grappler. He has stuffed 88 of 108 takedown attempts in his UFC career due to his karate style and great footwork.
Even at the age of 42, Stephen Thompson is a tough fight for the best out there. If his opponent decides to strike with him for the duration, it could prove costly.
Will Bonfim Use His Grappling To Defeat The Veteran?
Dangerous Grappler Gabriel Bonfim Securing A Submission Win
Gabriel Bonfim is a high level prospect fighting out of Brazil. In his 5 fight UFC stint he has finished all 3 of his 4 wins all coming by submission.
The prospect has incredible grappling credentials, being a black belt in BJJ. Proving how dangerous he is on the ground he has collected 13 submission wins in his career.
His undefeated run came to an end in 2023, losing the first fight of his career by Knockout. The loss was an eye opening experience for him as since he has won back to back fights.
Despite the loss he has shined in the recent step up in competition. Sticking to better game plans and using his best skills to secure the win.
In his last fight he showed how improved his striking has become. Meeting a very dangerous opponent in the middle and trading big blows.
The submission win only came after seriously hurting his opponent with his hands. With such improvement in his striking he may fall in love with the striking and abandon his grapple first mentality.
In a match up with such a high level striker, if he chooses to test his striking it could prove costly.
Co – Main Event: Gabriel Bonfim vs Stephen Thompson Prediction: Gabriel Bonfim Wins By Knockout (+500) at Betonline
Co – Main Event: Gabriel Bonfim vs Stephen Thompson Best Bet: Under 2.5 Total Rounds (-145) at Betonline
UFC Nashville Schedule & FAQ
When is UFC Nashville?
- UFC Nashville will take place Saturday, July 12, 2025.
Where is UFC Nashville?
- UFC Nashville will go down live at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
What time does UFC Nashville start?
- UFC Nashville Preliminary Card start time: 6 p.m. ET
- UFC Nashville Main Card start time: 10 p.m. ET
How to Watch UFC Nashville?
- UFC Nashville Preliminary Card Coverage: ESPN+
- UFC Nashville Main Card Coverage: ESPN+
How to Bet on UFC Nashville?
Most international and domestic sportsbooks will carry odds for a fight card of this caliber. But check out our best online sportsbooks here to see what Betting News recommends for a great UFC betting experience.
If one thing is for sure, Saturday’s card is sure to bring the action. I hope this betting guide helps bring more context to your UFC entertainment experience.
If you want my full card of bets, tune into the Violence Report on our network on Twitch every Saturday. Or for more gambling content like this, make sure to follow me on X or Betting News on all platforms!