Sherdog Prospect Watch: Tallison Teixeira

Tallison Teixeira did not have to look far and wide for life-changing inspiration. In fact, he found it close to home in an older brother who pushed him to make something of himself.

“He awarded me my jiu-jitsu black belt,” Teixeira told Sherdog.com. “He taught me to defend myself since I was short and chubby [at the time]. The more I competed, the more I liked it.” Natural progression ensued. “Lino Barros, my boxing coach now, saw me compete,” Teixeira said. “He felt I had talent and could migrate to MMA.”

Now 25 and standing 6-foot-8, Teixeira has established himself as a top heavyweight prospect. He will make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut opposite New Zealand-born Australian Justin Tafa as part of the UFC 312 main card on Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. It serves as Teixeira’s first assignment outside The Americas, and he welcomes the challenge and uncertainty ahead.

“My mind’s been racing, as far as what to bring or what not to bring,” he said. “It’s my first trip like this. For the local fans, I’m probably the underdog, but betting sites have me as the favorite. I don’t mind either way. Every fight has a 50/50 probability. It’s two people who worked hard to be there. I never see myself as the favorite or as the underdog. We’re equals in the cage. I believe that I’ll have most fans booing me and rooting against me, but what matters is getting my hand raised in the end. The same fans will be cheering for me [at the end]. Actually, I don’t really mind going into hostile territory.”

Teixeira has stopped all seven of his opponents inside one round. He stamped his ticket to the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series in September, when he punched out Arthur Lopes in a shade under two minutes. While his cage time may be limited, Teixeira has other experiences upon which to draw.

“I can’t think of any one fight that mattered more,” he said. “Every fight I’ve had brought me to this moment. I’ve had more than 100 jiu-jitsu matches. I think they helped me develop a calm demeanor for other martial arts styles. Having performed in front of large crowds prepared me for when I got my start in muay thai, kickboxing and MMA. Every match or fight, win or lose, helped me mature and evolve. I saw what needed to be corrected so I could be ready when coming to the UFC.”

The undefeated Teixeria trains out of Team Mineiro in Sao Paulo, Brazil. There, coaches Lucas “Mineiro” Martins, Teo Bittar, Laudelino Barros and Romildo Gordelas oversee his development. Teixeira expects to be well-prepared when he faces Tafa.

“They guided me through the entire fight camp,” he said. “We mapped out what my opponent does. We know where he makes mistakes. He’s not very explosive, nor does he have good stamina. He’s actually a right-handed fighter who switched to southpaw when he transitioned to MMA. His being a southpaw made it difficult for many of his opponents, but it won’t be for me; and he doesn’t have a ground game. It may actually be easy to take him down and get a finish.

“I have more skills to make his life difficult than the other way around,” Teixeira added. “He might have a good chin, but maybe he hasn’t faced someone with knockout power like I have.”