The Ultimate Fighting Championship hosts its first 2023 main event with UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 21. Former lightweight champion Glover Teixeira faces Jamahal Hill for the promotion’s vacant light heavyweight title and headlines two title fights on the spectacular 15-bout card. Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo takes on No. 1 challenger Brandon Moreno in the other belt match.
The UFC is in Brazil for the first time since UFC Fight Night 170, featuring Kevin Lee vs. Charles Olveira, in Brasilia on March 14, 2020. Saturday’s card at Jeunesse Arena gets underway with the early preliminaries at 6 p,m. (ET) on ESPN+. ABC/ESPN/ESPN+ has the preliminaries, which start at 8 p.m., while the main card is at 10 p.m. on PPV.
Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill, Light Heavyweight Title Bout
Texeira (33-8), competing in his fourth title fight, is an experienced veteran who enters the octagon as the No. 2 contender for the vacant title. Hill (11-1) is a new-age fighter ranked seventh in the division and trying to be a champion for the first time. Both combatants have been excellent lately.
Teixeira is 16-6 since joining the UFC, including 1-2 in title fights. The 43-year-old Brazilian claimed the light heavyweight belt for the first time with a submission of Jan Blachowicz (Oct. 2021), but lost the title to Jiri Prochazka in his first defense this past June. Teixeira has turned in the performance of the night in three of his last six fights, and the match against Prochazka was the fight of the evening.
Hill has won five of six bouts with the UFC, including three straight. The 31-year-old Chicago native defeated Thiago Santos via fourth-round TKO in the Fight of the Night the last time out. He also turned in the Performance of the Night in the previous two outings.
This fight should be very entertaining and explosive for however long it lasts. Go with the underdog here, which is surprisingly Texeira.
Teixeira is more experienced and has fought more formidable competition. I expect Texeira to take the fight to the ground, where he has an enormous advantage. Thirty-two of Teixeira’s 41 career fights (78%), including 16 of his UFC matches, have ended via finish. Eight of Hill’s 12 fights and each of the last five have ended before the final bell.
Prediction: Glover Teixeira (+120) To Win
Other Bets: Texeira To Win by KO/TKO, Submission, or DQ (+165)
Over 1.5 Rounds (-130)
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno, Flyweight Title Fight
This is the fourth match between Figueiredo, the Flyweight champion, and Moreno, the interim Flyweight title holder, marking the first time opponents have fought that many times in UFC history. Figueiredo (22-2-1, 10-2-1 UFC) is the only two-time UFC flyweight champion and is 3-1-1 in championship fights.
Unlike Figueiredo, who hasn’t fought since the last time the combatants met last January, Moreno (20-5-2, 8-2-2 UFC) is coming off a TKO victory over Kai Kara-France on July 30. Moreno has received Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night bonuses in four straight outings.
I expect this bout to be another doozy, with one or both participants earning bonuses for Fight or Performance of the Night. While the clash is essentially a tossup with the expectation to go the judges like two of the previous three, I like Figueiredo more here.
As he should be, Figueiredo is a little annoyed that he is facing Moreno again. Figueiredo defeated Moreno in the last meeting via unanimous decision and would have won the first meeting had he not been deducted a point for a low blow.
So, I expect him to come out on fire, and unless he makes a fatal mistake, he should retain the title. Plus, Figueiredo is fighting in his native country.
Prediction: Deiveson Figueiredo (+105) to Win.
Other Bets: Fight To Go Distance (-135)
Figueiredo To win via Decision (+300) or TKO/K0 (+330)
Gilbert Burns vs. Neil Magny, Welterweight
Burns (20-5), No. 5 in the division, is 13-5 with the UFC though he lost two of his last three fights. Burns lost via unanimous decision to Kmazat Chimaev via unanimous decision in April. Magney (27-10), No. 12 welterweight, is 20-8 in the UFC and coming off the Performance of the Night in his submission victory over Daniel Rodriguez on May 5.
Burns is a huge favorite, and while he may ultimately win, Magny will be a tough out. So, I expect this fight to be very competitive and wouldn’t be surprised if it went the distance. If you like underdogs, putting a little money on Magny is not a terrible investment.
Best Bet: Fight to Start Round 3 (-135)
Other Bet: Fight To Go Distance +120
Other Bets
2-leg Parlay (-278): Jessica Andrade Over Lauren Murphy, Paul Craig vs. Johnny Walker Fight To Not Go Distance
Terrence McKinney (-130) Over Ismael Bonfirm
