Few fights get the blood pumping like a clash between two colossal heavyweight knockout artists inside the UFC.
While UFC 312 is being scrutinized for its quality of competition – likely owing to the high tax rate on fighters coming in from abroad – it can’t be denied that fans are guaranteed some action on the card.
Not only is Aleksandre Topuria, brother of Ilia Topuria, making his UFC debut, but we also have the debut of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduate, Tallison Teixeira.
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Brazilian giant Tallison Teixeira to debut against Justin Tafa on UFC 312 main card
6’7″, 25-year-old Teixeira is set to debut against Kiwi banger Justin Tafa in one of the main card feature fights of UFC 312. It’s rare for a debutant to star on a UFC PPV, let alone a PPV main card, but Teixeira impressed the UFC brass in his DWCS appearance in September 2024.
‘Xicao’ came up against Arthur Lopes in the night’s penultimate fight. He ended the contest in over a minute with a flush right cross that detached Lopes from consciousness before bringing him back to reality with some cruel ground and pound.
On the other hand, Tafa is 4-4 (1NC) in the UFC and currently rides a one-fight losing streak. ‘Bad Man’ was outmuscled by Karl Williams in his last outing, but was undefeated in four fights before, with a three-fight finishing streak. He is a small betting underdog against Teixeira.
Massive disparities between Tallison Teixeira and Justin Tafa
Despite owning a 100 percent finishing rate in seven wins, Tafa is on the smaller side for UFC heavyweights. Entering their fight at UFC 312, Tafa will forfeit seven inches in height and nine inches in reach to Teixeira. Interestingly enough, Teixeira’s massive 83″ wing span still isn’t the biggest in the UFC, with Jon Jones coming in at No. 1 with 84.5″, that’s seven feet.