Best bets for UFC 283: Teixeira vs. Hill
This week's UFC 283 is an epic card not only because of the many competitively matched fights but also because the organization makes its return to the birthplace of BJJ, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Highly motivated world-class fighting talent arriving from every corner of the globe to compete against locals in Brazil sets the scene for Saturday night. Save for two fights where an opponent had to be located on ultra-short notice, each bout on this slate features a Brazilian athlete against a ship in from elsewhere in the world.
The 15-bout card begins at 6 p.m. ET with the main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
Last week Dan Ige -120 finished Damon Jackson to put Insight the Octagon on the board for 2023.
Glover Teixeira ( 110) vs. Jamahal Hill (-130)
Light heavyweight (205 lbs.) Championship Main Event
Finocchiaro: Seventh-ranked Hill is in a fortunate position to be able to vie for the title after the recent Ankalaev/Blachowicz draw opened the gateway for a guy with great momentum but only seven UFC bouts.
Hill, 31, will hold dynamic physical advantages in this bout for he’ll be the younger fighter by twelve years, the taller athlete by two inches, and his arm/leg reach advantages are substantial.
Hill’s an aggressive, violent, damaging striker with a blue belt in BJJ. Size/length, youth, aggression and bludgeoning power are his weapons whereas main event experience, level of competition faced and a well-rounded fight arsenal are areas he has yet to develop fully.
Teixeira, a 2nd-degree black belt in BJJ and a 5th-degree black belt in Kajukenbo (a Hawaiian martial arts specialty) offers a much more advanced and developed mixed martial arts repertoire now at 43 years old than any man in the division, let alone his opponent Saturday. He’s not as fast or explosive, but he overcomes that by being crafty, cagey, beguiling, and calculated in his approach. Teixeira is a high-fight-IQ former champion who competes Saturday in front of his home countrymen for a chance to regain his belt.
No doubt he’s motivated, and training with Alex Pereira indicates to me that he’s capable of navigating large, long explosive bangers.
Teixeira has competed against the elite of the division; his striking is effective enough to allow him to earn inside position and then work opponents into the fence and onto the floor, where he holds the dominant advantage.