UFC 325: Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira Preview & Prediction
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Don't blink for this literal clash of the titans, with fan favorite, Tai Tuivasa, returning to face heavyweight finisher, Tallison Teixeira.
Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira facts
What time are Tai Tuivasa and Tallison Teixeira expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 325? Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
Where can I get tickets for UFC 325? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 325
What TV channel is UFC 325 on? UK – TNT Sports Box Office / USA – Not televised
Where can I stream UFC 325? UK – TNT Sports subscribers who have paid for the fight can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 main card
Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes (Featherweight)
Dan Hooker vs Benoit Saint Denis (Lightweight)
Rafael Fiziev vs Mauricio Ruffy (Lightweight)
Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira (Heavyweight)
Quillan Salkilld vs Jamie Mullarkey (Lightweight)
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 prelims
Junior Tafa vs Billy Elekana (Light Heavyweight)
Cameron Rowston vs Cody Brundage (Middleweight)
Jacob Malkoun vs Torrez Finney (Middleweight)
Jonathan Micallef vs Oban Elliott (Welterweight)
Kaan Ofli vs Yi Zha (Featherweight)
Kim Sang-wook vs Dom Mar Fan (Lightweight)
Keiichiro Nakamura vs Sebastian Szalay (Featherweight)
Sulang Rangbo vs Lawrence Lui (Bantamweight)
Tai Tuivasa: What does "Bam Bam" have left in the tank following a long hiatus?
Renowned for his outrageous walk out tunes, bone-shattering knockouts, and drinking beer out of a shoe in victory, Aussie slugger, Tai Tuivasa (14-8), returns for his first fight since 2024 at UFC 325. A five fight finish streak between 2020 and 2022 that culminated in a brutal elbow KO over Derrick Lewis had the Aussie knocking on the door of title contention, only for the wheels to fall off in spectacular fashion. Tuivasa would go on to lose his next five fights, with four of those losses coming by way of brutal finish. A self-described brawler, Tuivasa is renowned for his brutally heavy hands; he remains the only man to drop Cyril Gane in the UFC and has scored all but one of his fourteen victories by way of KO.
Tallison Teixeira: Can the towering Brazilian rebound from his first professional defeat?
Standing 6’7 inches tall with an 83 inch reach, Tallison Teixeira (8-1) is one of the more visually imposing heavyweights that the promotion has to offer. Punching his ticket to the UFC with a show stopping KO over Arthur Lopes on the Contender Series in 2024, the Brazilian powerhouse would debut with a Performance of the Night winning KO over Justin Tafa at UFC 312, earning himself a shot at divisional mainstay Derrick Lewis last July. Unfortunately for Teixeira, “The Black Beast” would go on to clean his clock for the first round KO, prompting many fans to cry fraud. As such, Teixeira returns with a point to prove, looking to maintain his 100% finishing rate in victory in the process.
Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira prediction
Despite his reputation as a fan favorite, the UFC are doing Tuivasa absolutely no favors with this match up. Teixeira might be coming off his first professional defeat, but he’s still a monstrously big heavyweight with a 100% finishing rate. He’s also clearly got a decent chin; he might have been TKO’d by Derrick Lewis last time out, but he was still struggling back to his feet. The shot “The Black Beast” landed arguably would have put left most heavyweights completely out cold.
In short, the Brazilian’s enormous size and reach advantage means that he would likely present a rough match up for the returning Tuivasa even if he wasn’t coming off five consecutive defeats. Tai was also finished four times during that streak and is returning from a near two year long lay off. “Bam Bam” hasn’t scored a win since 2022, and while that victory may have come over the aforementioned Lewis, MMA math isn’t enough for me to pick him here.
While the Aussie’s murderous power means that he’s always got a puncher’s chance, this match up is likely to play out in a similar manner to Teixeira’s brutal first round win over Justin Tafa. Tuivasa will have the support of an adoring home crowd behind him as he makes the walk but anybody hoping for a celebratory shoey is likely to be disappointed.
Prediction: Tallison Teixeira to win by TKO
