In the primary card on Brazilian soil in three years, Saturday’s UFC 283 pay-per-view occasion produced no scarcity of fireworks and big-time moments in Rio de Janeiro.
Along with a pair of title bouts atop the marquee, the cardboard additionally featured 17 totally different Brazilian-born fighters throughout 15 fights. Legendary mild heavyweight Mauricio “Shogun” Rua additionally stated goodbye after the shut of a 21-year profession and retired featherweight king Jose Aldo was dropped at tears cageside when it was introduced he would headline the 2023 UFC Hall of Fame class.
Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the most important takeaways from the motion contained in the Octagon.
Can’t get sufficient boxing and MMA? Get the most recent on the earth of fight sports activities from two of the perfect within the enterprise. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the perfect evaluation and in-depth information, together with full protection of UFC 283 all week lengthy.
1. Jamahal Hill earned each inch of the UFC mild heavyweight title
There was no scarcity of criticism for UFC brass after a December draw between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant 205-pound title led to president Dana White unexpectedly ordering Glover Teixeira to face the No. 7-ranked Hill for the belt. But the additional miles contained in the cage that Hill was compelled to go by the previous champion Teixeira and his otherworldly degree of toughness went a great distance in making Hill really feel very a lot the respectable champion when all was stated and carried out. Hill stayed off his again for the whole lot of Round 1 to set a tone that Teixeira would not have the ability to manhandle him on the bottom. From there, Hill chipped away on the ft with very good boxing and unimaginable poise all through whereas showcasing five-round championship stamina and passing each single take a look at Teixeira had for him.
This was a mature, breakthrough efficiency for a 31-year-old fighter who was largely unheralded regardless of an 11-1 document coming in. So many others would’ve buckled in his spot had they not been totally prepared for the chance as a result of Teixeira merely would not capitulate whilst excessive swelling and blood round his eyes compromised his imaginative and prescient and stored himself seemingly one punch away from rallying the whole combat. Even as Teixeira rallied to take Hill down in Round 5, sliding into full mount for a short time, Hill by no means crumbled and broke down emotionally after the ultimate horn as soon as it turned clear his desires had come true, even when many had so vocally counted him out.
2. Glover Teixeira’s post-fight retirement was proper on time
Teixeira stated it himself after the combat, admitting he is most likely too powerful for his personal good earlier than he confirmed the unanimous determination loss in his third shot at UFC gold could be his final. For a fighter who already drastically redefined his legacy by upsetting his method to the title at age 42 in 2021, the efficiency Teixeira saved for final in opposition to Hill was as memorable and spectacular as any of his 33 professional wins. There was a second after Round 4, because the cageside physician examined his badly broken face, that Teixeira’s nook would’ve been justified in dropping by the wayside merely to stop Teixeira from compromising his personal eventual retirement. A famous knockout artist who entered Saturday on a three-fight ending streak, Hill landed the form of head kicks and highly effective proper palms that will’ve completed 99% of the planet, but Teixeira by no means stopped pressuring ahead in a efficiency as inspirational because it was insane. Known for his sort coronary heart and demeanor, Teixeira won’t get the identical acclaim usually reserved for Brazilian MMA heroes like Rua, Aldo, Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, however he belongs on the identical desk as any of them based mostly upon what’s inside him. UFC 283 marked a near some of the thrilling second chapters in MMA historical past.
3. Brandon Moreno left little question as to who received the flyweight title quadrilogy
Despite a refrain of boos and a barrage of trash thrown at him by a pro-Deveison Figueiredo crowd, Moreno efficiently introduced some closure to his historic, four-fight rivalry and it wasn’t even all that shut. Moreno twice escaped respectable submission makes an attempt from Figueiredo however dominated him in nearly each different side. Not solely did Moreno enhance to 2-1-1 in opposition to Figueiredo, thus making him the winner of the rivalry, his two victories have been each largely one-sided stoppages. Even with a late camp change after coach Jason Krause was banned by UFC amid a playing scandal, Moreno stored his poise and was crisp together with his hanging. A left hook in Round 3 opened a second reduce round Figueiredo’s proper eye, which swelled shut and triggered the cageside physician to examine after the spherical and advise referee Herb Dean to finish the combat. Figueiredo introduced he is formally shifting as much as bantamweight within the post-fight interview permitting Moreno a second probability to construct a sustained title reign.
4. Gilbert Burns continues to be an issue for the welterweight division
Unable to lure Colby Covington or Jorge Masvidal right into a big-money combat, Burns selected to remain busy in opposition to the at all times recreation Neil Magny. And at 36, sporting a youthful set of curls atop his head, Burns seemed as if a possible second run at a 170-pound title shot continues to be inside attain after dominating Magny en path to a first-round submission. After brawling for 3 rounds in opposition to Khamzat Chimaev in his final outing in a disputed determination defeat, Burns turned his focus again to his energy of grappling and boldly introduced after the win that there is not one other welterweight alive he could not do the identical in opposition to. Oh yeah, and “Durinho” additionally added a mic drop second to shut by calling out Covington as soon as extra.
