He faced unbeaten Brazilian slugger Tallison Teixeira, 25, who earned a UFC slot with a win on Dana White's Contender Series and stopped Justin Tafa in just 35 seconds in his official company debut on a pay-per-view undercard five months ago.

UFC on ESPN 70 takes place Saturday (ESPN, ESPN+ ), and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). UFC on ESPN 70 takes place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Following a week off, the UFC kicks off a busy stretch of events as the Octagon returns to the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee for UFC on ESPN 70.