New FSM Preview: UFC 283 - Teixeira vs Hill

Photo Credit: UFC

New FSM Preview: UFC 283 – Teixeira vs Hill

The UFC makes its 2023 pay-per-view debut with UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro! In the UFC’s first event back in Brazil since 2020, Glover Teixeira takes on Jamahal Hill in his home country for the light heavyweight title. In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo face off for the flyweight title for the fourth time.

After controversy, dating back to December at UFC 282, the UFC hopes to start the new year fresh in Brazil. UFC 283 will feature two headlining bouts that will decide the title for their individual divisions. Starting with the night’s main event, Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill enter the octagon to determine a new champion at light heavyweight.

Light Heavyweight seems deficient since the departure of “Bones” Jones.

With the recent news of Jon Jones’ return for his first title shot at Heavyweight against Ciryl Gane, it’s easy to forget just how long Jones dominated the 205-pound division and the stability he provided to the weight class.

Jones claimed the light heavyweight title in 2011, and outside of being stripped of the belt due to a failed drug test in 2017, Jones remained undefeated in the octagon and provided the division a steady champion for just under nine years. His reign over the division ended in 2020 after vacating the belt following his final title defense against Dominick Reyes.

Following Jon Jones’ final fight at light heavyweight in 2020, the title has since been passed on to three different fighters. Jan Blachowicz claimed the vacant title after defeating Reyes in 2020. 13 months later, Blachowicz would lose the title after being upset by 42-year-old UFC vet Glover Teixeira. Teixeira would only hold the belt for eight months, as he would lose the belt in one of the greatest title fights the UFC has seen against rising star Jiri Prochazka in 2021. Prochazka seemed to be the one who would bring order to the division. Still, after suffering a severe shoulder injury, he would be forced to give up the belt, leading to the second vacant title fight at light heavyweight in two years, between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282. Blachowicz and Ankalaev would fail to claim the belt after their fight was ruled a draw in December of 2022, leaving the title vacant and setting the stage for the main event at UFC 283 between Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill.

With so much instability in the division, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic for the competitive days light heavyweight had during the reign of “Bones” Jones.

Though it seemed like no one could compete with the champion at the time, fighters like Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, and Vitor Belfort gave Jones his most challenging fights. They were part of some of the most iconic fights in UFC history. It was during those fights that the division looked like one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC. At the same time, Jones not only set the standard for the division but by being ranked the pound-for-pound best fighter during that time, he set the bar high for the entire UFC roster.

The main event at UFC 283 will end in one-of-two ways. Either Glover Teixeira, in what is possibly his final fight before retirement, gets it done in his home country and claims the belt to become a two-time champion. Or, Jamahal Hill takes advantage of his opportunity and claims the belt in his first title fight, giving the division its fourth champion in three years. Either way, it looks like the light heavyweight division is long gone from the glory days of “Bones” Jones.

Moreno vs Figueiredo 4

After three fights, Deiveson Figueiredo (21-2-1) and Brandon Moreno (20-6-2) still have unfinished business. In what will be the UFC’s first “quadrilogy,” both Moreno and Figueiredo will look to close their historic rivalry with a victory and the title, but which fighter has the advantage going into Saturday?

The two fighters first met in 2020 in the main event at UFC 256. Figueiredo came in as the sitting champion, fresh off his first title defense against Alex Perez. Figueiredo was the favorite to tally his second straight title defense, but after five close-fought rounds, the fight was declared a draw by the judges. The two flyweights met again in 2021 to determine a champion. Moreno keeping his promise to one day be a champion, the Mexican-born fighter got the victory via 3rd round Rear Naked Choke and claimed the 125-pound title.

In what would be their trilogy fight, Figueiredo regained the belt after getting the unanimous decision victory in January of 2022. A year after their last fight, the two flyweights will meet in Brazil to settle the rivalry, and it couldn’t be harder to tell who will get it done.

After defeating Moreno in their last fight in 2022 at UFC 270 and claiming the belt back after losing to Moreno at UFC 263, you could argue that Figueredo looks like the favorite to take the belt.

That said, Figueiredo is coming off a year layoff after injuries postponed his fourth fight with Moreno. During Figueiredo’s time off, Moreno stayed active and had the opportunity to face new blood, as he defeated Kai Kara-France in 2022 at UFC 277 for the interim title.

Of course, the fight taking place in Figueiredo’s home country of Brazil might tip the scale in the two-time champion’s favor. But as dangerous as Figueiredo is, Moreno has shown to be his toughest test. After taking the belt off him once before, it’s not far-fetched to think Moreno could do it again.

No matter how you look at it, Saturday’s co-main event seems poised to provide an exciting finale to one of the most evenly-matched title rivalries in the history of the UFC.