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Tallison Teixeira may have preached patience leading up to his UFC debut, but when the cage door closed, he wasted no time making a statement. The towering Brazilian unleashed a devastating elbow that shattered Justin Tafa’s nose, securing a jaw-dropping 35-second knockout in their heavyweight clash at UFC 312.
Teixeira set the tone early, opening the fight with a powerful head kick that Tafa managed to block with his arms. He then closed the distance, pressing Tafa against the cage and positioning himself for a fight-ending sequence. As Tafa attempted to defend, Teixeira delivered a thunderous elbow strike that landed flush, instantly dropping his opponent to the canvas. The referee quickly intervened to prevent any further damage, officially ending the fight before the first minute had elapsed.
Following his spectacular debut, Teixeira reflected on his performance, acknowledging the preparation and strategy that led to the finish.
“I’ve been working really hard,” Teixeira said. “You try to find that way in. He’s a tough opponent. Unfortunately for him, fortunately for me, it was my day. I know he’s a tough guy. I figured he was able to defend the takedown but I knew one thing, he was going to lower his head and that’s when I was going to finish the fight.”
Coming into UFC 312, Teixeira had plenty of hype surrounding him. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and boasting a flawless record, the Brazilian had finished all of his previous fights in the first round. He was prepared to prove that he could extend his battles beyond the opening five minutes, but Tafa never gave him the opportunity.
With this emphatic victory, Teixeira moves to 1-0 in the UFC and maintains his perfect professional record at 8-0. His arrival adds a fresh and dangerous presence to the heavyweight division, and with such a brutal debut, it’s clear that Teixeira will be a fighter to watch in the months ahead.