Final Combating Championship (UFC) will strive, as soon as once more, to deliver some stability to the volatile mild heavyweight division, a kingdom with no crown after former champion Jiri Prochazka blew out his shoulder doing … no matter samurai crap he does in camp. Tasked with bringing order to chaos is former 205-pound titleholder Glover Teixeira, who welcomes unlikely (however nonetheless deserving) division contender Jamahal Hill, a harmful energy puncher with the chance of a lifetime. Earlier than that five-round headliner will get underway on the UFC 283 pay-per-view (PPV) occasion this Sat. night time (Jan. 21, 2023) inside Jeunesse Area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the promotion will give reigning flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo and present interim titleholder Brandon Moreno a chance to settle their championship rating for the fourth (and hopefully ultimate) time.
Who wins and who loses?
Earlier than we get to the finer particulars, make sure you take a more in-depth take a look at our complete preview and predictions for all of the UFC 283 preliminary card motion by clicking here and here. The most recent UFC 283 odds and an entire betting information for the “Teixeira vs. Hill” PPV occasion may be situated here. Keep in mind, you’ll want a subscription to ESPN+ to order this weekend’s combat card however you’ll additionally get entry to all the following “Struggle Night time” occasions.
Let’s speak store.
205 lbs.: Glover Teixeira (33-8) vs. Jamahal “Candy Goals” Hill (11-1, 1 NC) for vacant mild heavyweight title
After Jiri Prochazka was injured and pulled from the UFC 282 principal occasion, former mild heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira refused to combat Magomed Ankalaev on simply two weeks’ discover and as a substitute requested the promotion to rebook the combat for UFC 283 in Rio. I can’t assist however marvel if G-Tex regretted his resolution after watching the lame-duck efficiency from the supposedly-injured Ankalaev, who went on to battle Jan Blachowicz to a cut up draw. Regardless, Teixeira bought his want and can now combat Jamahal Hill for the vacant 205-pound strap this weekend in entrance of a fired-up Brazilian crowd.
There isn’t a level in speaking about Teixeira being 42 as a result of age doesn’t seem to have any relevance right here, particularly when you think about that Teixeira received six straight with 5 finishes earlier than taking Prochazka — 12 years his junior — to absolutely the restrict at UFC 275 previous to succumbing to a fifth-round submission. Teixeira is a type of uncommon fighters who can do all of it and do it persistently. He’s bought knockout energy, top-shelf submissions, and the cardio to combat all 5 frames towards a lot youthful competitors. My solely concern heading into this combat is the previous champ’s capacity to face up to the kill shot, which has felled him in three of his eight losses.
It’s been enjoyable to observe Hill thrash-and-smash his manner by the sunshine heavyweight ranks and in case you embrace his lone look on Dana White’s “Contender Collection,” Hill has annihilated six of his final seven victims and sure, I’m together with his destruction of Klidson Abreu — regardless of the following “No Contest” — as a result of hashish suspensions are dumb and all the time have been. We haven’t seen Hill do 5 rounds in UFC however he’s gone 25 minutes in victory on the regional circuit so I don’t anticipate cardio to be a problem towards Teixeira. It additionally helps that “Candy Goals” is tall and lean and doesn’t stroll round with any pointless bulk. What could possibly be a problem is his submission protection towards one of many division’s greatest grapplers. Teixeira has nabbed 4 submission victories in his final 4 fights and I’d anticipate that to be a serious a part of his gameplan. There isn’t a motive to attempt to bang it out towards a brick-fisted bruiser like Hill when the Brazilian can comply with the Paul Craig blueprint and work for a limb.
That’s actually what this combat boils right down to. Teixeira has fought and defeated a few of the greatest mild heavyweights on this planet and there may be nothing Hill can throw at him that Teixeira hasn’t already seen and overcome. A well-timed (and well-executed) takedown resulting in a submission looks as if the protected guess. That mentioned, I’ve additionally seen Teixeira undertake the Easter Island protection in his standup, resulting in a few heartbreaking knockouts. I don’t assume anybody would disagree that Teixeira is the higher general fighter with a superior resume, however I imagine a loosey-goosey Hill with no strain and nothing to lose is gonna let his fingers go early and Teixeira might discover himself flat on his again earlier than he even realizes he’s in bother.
Prediction: Hill def. Teixeira by knockout
125 lbs.: UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson “Daico” Figueiredo (21-2-1) vs. Interim Flyweight Champion Brandon “Murderer Child” Moreno (20-6-2)
UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will battle longtime nemesis and present interim titleholder Brandon Moreno for the fourth straight time within the UFC 283 co-main occasion. The hype for this 125-pound rivalry has weakened over time, most likely as a result of it’s been entrance and heart for the final three years with little room to breathe. It additionally doesn’t assist that Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo had been thought of the 2 best flyweights on this planet earlier than abandoning their posts. It will have been good to see them full their trilogy and even nicer to see title defenses towards Figueiredo and Moreno. Not like “Daico,” Moreno made a 125-pound pit cease at UFC 277 again in July, crushing high contender Kai Kara France and retaining his No. 1 spot within the division. It was a gutsy transfer contemplating what was at stake however that’s certainly one of many examples that spotlight the character of Moreno. Figueiredo, in the meantime, was driving the pine with an damage or a foul angle, maybe each relying on who you ask.
The Brazilian offers up two inches in each peak and attain however has a denser body with extra muscle and subsequently, extra energy. He’s additionally extra dialed in together with his putting accuracy (55%) in comparison with Moreno (39%), however falls wanting his Mexican rival with regards to putting protection. By way of general quantity, they’re roughly the identical although Moreno holds a slight benefit within the wrestling. Once you add up all three fights, “Murderer Child” has each out-struck and out-wrestled “Daico” and I’m not anticipating something totally different right here. If that was the one factor that mattered to the judges then you could possibly decide Moreno and name it a day; nevertheless, Figueiredo has confirmed he’s been in a position to do extra with much less. Do not be stunned to see this weekend’s combat play out like their back-and-forth barnburner at UFC 270 roughly one 12 months again. If that’s the case, it’s arduous to choose towards “Daico” in his personal yard, the place each shot he lands will include a cheer from the gang. Should you don’t assume judges’ hear that form of factor, it’s possible you’ll be in for a shock when this combat goes to the playing cards in Rio.
Prediction: Figueiredo def. Moreno by unanimous resolution
170 lbs.: Gilbert “Durinho” Burns (20-5) vs. Neil “Haitian Sensation” Magny (27-9)
Longtime welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is at present ranked No. 5 at 170 kilos, which feels somewhat beneficiant when you think about that “Durinho” solely has one victory over a fighter at present ranked within the Prime 15. That’s No. 6-ranked Stephen Thompson, who’s again in everybody’s good graces after knocking round an overmatched (and oft-bewildered) Kevin Holland at UFC Orlando. Burns has racked up 5 efficiency bonuses in his UFC profession — three inside the final three years — which incorporates his all-action “Struggle of the Night time” reverse welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev.
That efficiency, very similar to his loss to Kamaru Usman, is a reasonably good measuring stick for the place the Brazilian belongs within the 170-pound pecking order. Briefly, he’s adequate to offer anybody the suits at any time, however not adequate to get himself over the hump within the large spot. Burns beat Thompson with three takedowns and greater than seven minutes of management time. Previous to that, “Durinho” walked by a shopworn Tyron Woodley and beat up a 40-something Demian Maia. I’m not trying to shit throughout his wins, however how he received and his high quality of opposition is related for the needs of this column.
You can also make lots of the identical arguments each for and towards his opponent, welterweight mainstay Neil Magny. “The Haitian Sensation” has spent the higher a part of his UFC profession bouncing out and in of the Prime 10 and at present sits at No. 12, one spot beneath the declining Jorge Masvidal. The 35 year-old Magny, one 12 months youthful than his Brazilian foe, has captured six of his final eight, together with his submission victory over Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 64. That was an essential victory for the one-time Final Fighter as a result of it erased a disappointing loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov whereas additionally proving Magny isn’t going to be a “gimme” combat for anybody within the division. And to be honest, it’s not simply younger bucks that Magny has taken out, he’s additionally eradicated some notoriously troublesome welterweights like Geoff Neal and Max Griffin.
Magny is often the extra aggressive (and extra profitable) wrestler besides in these cases the place he’s outmatched in that individual ability set. Losses to Michael Chiesa and the aforementioned Rakhmonov come to thoughts. I feel that’s going to be the deciding issue on this combat and so they solely have three rounds, so each takedown shall be a reasonably large deal. Burns is an impressive grappler and is aware of methods to shield himself on the bottom, a spot I anticipate him to be visiting very often at UFC 283 due to his drawback in each peak (5”) and attain (9”). Burns might have climbed increased up the ladder, however Magny’s suffocating model is about to tug him down a number of pegs.
Prediction: Magny def. Burns by unanimous resolution
125 lbs.: Jessica “Bate Estaca” Andrade (23-9) vs. “Fortunate” Lauren Murphy (16-5)
I don’t know if Jessica Andrade will get the love she deserves and that’s possible as a result of “Bate Estaca” has been overshadowed by greater names and even greater drama in ladies’s MMA, however the Brazilian has been an essential a part of its progress throughout a number of divisions. I’m positive her incapability to choose a weight class and keep it up has additionally harm her inventory, a minimum of when it comes to fan enchantment, however Andrade holds the ladies’s report for efficiency bonuses at eight and is tied with bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes for many finishes, additionally at eight. She’s additionally a former champion with a violent win over Rose Namajunas. Her inconsistency has been her downfall however to be honest, her solely 4 losses over the past seven years (a span of 14 fights) have come towards Namajunas, Zhang Weili, Valentina Shevchenko, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, two present and two former champions. That’s nothing to be ashamed of, competitively talking. Andrade’s all-violence model hasn’t modified a lot over time, which is nice for followers and even higher for opponents who know precisely what to arrange for. That mentioned, being prepared for it and with the ability to face up to it are two totally different animals.
Lauren Murphy has come a good distance since her stint on The Final Fighter 26, the place she went on to lose a unanimous resolution to eventual winner Nicco Montano. Murphy would rebound with a cut up resolution win over Barb Honchak within the sequence finale and since that efficiency, “Fortunate” is 6-2 falling to Sijara Eubanks at UFC Struggle Night time 131 and Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266. What you are taking away from her “Bullet” rebound victory over Miesha Tate might rely upon the place you rank the second model of “Cupcake,” who’s simply 1-3 since her summer time 2021 return. As of this writing, Andrade is a whopping -530 favourite, which appears somewhat excessive when you think about what Murphy has carried out over the previous couple of years. “Fortunate” turns 40 in July and can little question be combating on her again foot for many of the combat, so she’ll must do one thing large — and do it usually — if she hopes to show the tide. These quarter-hour go quick and identical to a few the opposite large fights on this card, Andrade vs. Murphy might come right down to which fighter is extra profitable with their takedowns. I’m selecting Murphy, who may have a dimension benefit on combat night time however extra importantly, the expertise and combat I.Q. required to make use of it successfully.
Prediction: Murphy def. Andrade by technical knockout
205 lbs.: Johnny Walker (19-7) vs. Paul “Bearjew” Craig (16-5-1)
There was a time within the not-too-distant previous when Johnny Walker was the toast of the sunshine heavyweight city, to the purpose the place the Brazilian had the attention of then-division champion Jon Jones. The bloom got here off the rose quickly thereafter and Walker dropped 4 of 5, getting knocked out twice within the course of. Walker, who turns 31 in only a few weeks, bought again into the win column with a first-round submission win over Ion Cutelaba at UFC 279, the night time he bought tossed from the constructing earlier than getting the prospect to dress (seriously). Walker stays harmful together with his imposing peak (6’6”) and attain (82”), in addition to his unorthodox model. I feel the Cutlaba victory was good for his confidence and with a bit of luck, followers will see the “outdated” Walker at UFC 283. Then once more, I mentioned that after his Ryan Spann victory and he went on to lose two straight, so at this level it’s arduous to know what to anticipate. With 4 efficiency bonuses to his credit score, we will a minimum of depend on an thrilling combat.
Paul Craig is not any stranger to efficiency bonuses himself, racking up seven of his personal, two of which got here in consecutive finishes over Ryan Spann and Nikita Krylov. The latter was sufficient to propel Craig to No. 8 within the 205-pound rankings, a spot he shortly surrendered after falling to former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir at UFC London final July. “Bearjew” is at present seated at No. 9, one spot behind Krylov — who he beat — and one spot above Oezdemir — who beat him. That just about sums up the (cough) “official” UFC rankings for ya’ and I bought kicked off the panel a number of years again for complaining about them. The 35 year-old Craig is likely one of the division’s most enjoyable fighters with 16 finishes in 16 wins, 13 of these coming by means of faucet, nap, or snap. The aforementioned Krylov was in a position to beat Walker with three takedowns and greater than 11 minutes of management time, a blueprint I anticipate Craig to comply with on combat night time — assuming he doesn’t eat a flying knee within the course of.
Prediction: Craig def. Walker by submission
MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the whole UFC 283 combat card RIGHT HERE, beginning with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, adopted by the remaining undercard stability on ESPN+/ABC at 8 p.m. ET, earlier than the PPV principal card begin time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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