Brazilian heavyweight Tallison Teixeira was the most exciting debutant fighting at UFC 312.
The 7-0 prospect got the UFC call after stopping all of his opponents inside the first round since turning pro in 2021.
Teixeira’s sheer size was a point of interest for fight fans as he stands at 6ft 7in, which makes him the tallest active UFC fighter alongside fellow heavyweight Alexander Volkov after Robelis Despaigne’s recent depeature from the promotion.
The 25-year-old carried a seven-inch height advtange over his opponent Justin Tafa, and he immediately made use of it when they clashed at UFC 312, which took place at the Qudos Arena in Sydney, Australia on Sunday morning local time.
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Tallison Teixeira blasts out Justin Tafa
Teixeira started his UFC debut by landing a heavy kick to the midsection of his overmatched opponent.
Instead of using his 84-inch reach to maintain distance, Teixeira shot in for a takedown that forced the fight against the fence where he closed the show.
A short elbow on the inside made Tafa collapse to his knees before he took several follow up punches.
Teixeira kept pounding away until the referee stepped in to wave off the fight after just 35 seconds.
The UFC’s newest heavyweight prospect is now 8-0 in MMA. Meanwhile, Tafa dropped to 7-5 (1NC) in the sport and 4-5 inside the Octagon – which is a record that puts him at the risk of being cut by Dana White.
Tallison Teixeira reacts to his UFC debit win
Teixeira got to speak with UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier after closing the show super quickly during his promotional debut.
“I’ve been working really hard,” he said via a translator.
“This is a tough opponent. I went in there, and unfortunately for him, fortunately for me, it was my day.”
Asked about the finishing sequence, he added: “I know he’s a tough guy.
“I figured he would be able to defend a takedown, but I knew one thing – he was going to lower his head.
“That’s when I was going to come in and finish the fight.”