UFC 283 Preview and Predictions
The first UFC pay-per-view of 2023 is here. UFC 283 will take place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio De Janerio, Brazil. The card is loaded with Brazilian talent. The most notable is Glover Teixeira who is looking to win the vacant light heavyweight belt against Jamahal Hill. In addition, Deiveson Figueiredo will fight Brandon Moreno for a fourth time, this time in front of his home country. The Vendetta Sports Media preview team is here to preview and predict each fight on the main card. After one UFC card, our 2023 prediction records are listed below.
James: 2-3
Garrett: 2-3
Jerry: 2-3
Anthony: 2-3
No.9 Paul Craig vs. No. 12 Johnny Walker- Light Heavyweight
James: UFC 283 will open the main card with a light heavyweight bout between Paul Craig and Johnny Walker. Both of these fighters have been mainstays in the UFC light heavyweight for years now. Craig has established an 8-5-1 UFC record through his elite submission skills while Walker has gone 5-4 in the organization.
This prediction reads like most Craig previews. If Craig can get the fight to the ground he wins by submission. Although I do not think that will happen. Walker is an underrated grappler and he should be able to defend the takedowns. When the fight is on the feet, Walker should be able to stay on the outside and land kicks. In addition, if Craig opts to enter the pocket, Walker should be able to punish him with heavy punches. I will take Walker by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Walker via TKO
Jerry: Craig via submission
Anthony: Walker via KO
No. 4 Lauren Murphy vs No. 6 Jessica Andrade- Women’s Flyweight
James: Lauren Murphy and Jessica Andrade are positioned to rise toward the top of the flyweight division in this fight. Thus far into their careers, Andrade has been the more successful of the pair as she has won women’s strawweight gold. Although Murphy is still a veteran with tons of experience, she just wasn’t able to get past Valentina Shevchenko in her title opportunity.
This is an intriguing matchup. Physically, Andrade will be quicker and far more dangerous while Murphy is tough and strong. I think that translates to Andrade using her speed to get in and out of the pocket while landing punches. Murphy could counter that by entering the clinch or attempting takedowns. If Murphy can get on top, I am interested to see if she can control Andrade and deal some damage.
Ultimately, I like Andrade and think she will be able to outland Murphy while dealing damage. I do think it will be close though. Murphy is not as talented or athletic as Andrade, but she excels at making fights dirty and close. Still, I will take Andrade by decision.
Garrett: Andrade via decision
Jerry: Andrade via KO/TKO
Anthony: Andrade via TKO
No. 5 Gilbert Burns vs. No. 12 Neil Magny- Welterweight
James: Neil Magny should be thankful that so many welterweights were unwilling to fight Gilbert Burns at UFC 283. Otherwise, he would not be getting this fight. With that in mind, he is in over his head in this bout. Burns is simply a better fighter.
Burns is a terrible matchup for Mangy. The thing that makes Magny a good fighter is that he is well-rounded. If a fighter has a flaw, he can expose it. The issue is that Burns is well-rounded and has more elite skills. The biggest strength that Magny has in this fight is his length. He is going to be far taller and longer than Burns. He will have better cardio too, but I do not think that will play a massive factor in this fight. Outside of that, I think Burns lands more powerful strikes while adding control time on the ground. Magny is tough and will probably hang around longer than he should though. I will take Burns by third-round knockout.
Garrett: Burns via TKO
Jerry: Burns via decision
Anthony: Burns via decision
(C) Deiveson Figueiredo vs. (IC) Brandon Moreno- Flyweight Championship
James: In the co-main event of UFC 283, we will see the quadrilogy between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno. The first three fights between these two have been absurdly close and the score between them is tied at 1-1-1. You would think after three fights we would know what to expect heading into the fourth, but we don’t. That is what makes this fight great.
In terms of skill and game planning, I have a hard time predicting exactly how this fight will play out. We have seen these two fight three times and each fight has been different. Trying to figure out what will change is hard to pinpoint. The two traits that were able to stand out in the first three fights are Figueiredo’s power and Moreno’s cardio. Those are traits to watch out for in this fight.
Although, the part of this fight that I find most compelling is the gym changes. For those unaware, Moreno and Figueiredo have each gone through a lot of gym changes. On the side of Moreno, he started this quadrilogy with Entram Gym, and then he moved to Glory MMA and Fitness. However, the issues with James Krause and his gym have resulted in Moreno switching to Fortis MMA. Meanwhile, Figueiredo has trained at Fight Ready and has switched to his own gym called Team Figueiredo.
Now, in terms of prediction, I see a couple of advantages on each side. I think Moreno’s gym switch is more beneficial than Figueiredo’s. Fight Ready is an elite gym and a move away is a negative in my eyes. Moreno also sits at 29 years old while Figueiredo is 35. In theory, that means Moreno is more likely to make improvements heading into this fight. On the flip side, if this fight is close, the hometown judging may swing the bout in Figueiredo’s favor. Now, there are other small details at work in this bout, but those are the most obvious to me. If you were keeping track, there were more positives on the side of Moreno. I will take Moreno by decision.
Garrett: Moreno via decision
Jerry: Figueiredo via decision
Anthony: Moreno via decision
No. 2 Glover Teixeira vs. No. 7 Jamahal Hill- Light Heavyweight Title Fight
James: In the UFC 283 main event, the UFC will look to finally fill the vacant light heavyweight title. On one side of the octagon, former champion Glover Teixeira will look to regain the title in Brazil, his birth country, while Jamahal Hill looks to walk into enemy territory and etch his name in history as a UFC champion.
This fight has had me going back and forth all week. I could easily see each fighter winning and doing so in a dominant fashion. That is what makes this fight so interesting. On the side of Teixeira, his grappling could cause Hill a lot of issues. Teixeira has a great balance of BJJ and wrestling which has helped him become one of the best MMA grapplers in the upper weight classes. If Teixeira can land takedowns and do so early he could finish this fight on the ground. Meanwhile, Hill is a dynamic striker with great boxing and underrated kicks. Most importantly, he has legit knockout power that he carries into the later rounds.
Typically, in this matchup, I favor the grappler. I think that holds true here- to an extent. Teixeira should be able to find success in the grappling department. However, I do not know how much Teixeira has left in the tank after his war with Jiri Prochazka. Not to mention, he is 43. If the flags are not already red enough, Teixeira gets hit way too much. In almost all of his fights, he gets hit with a strike that badly hurts him and he is forced to recover. I do not think that is sustainable, especially in a fight with Hill. I think Hill will be able to land straight damaging punches that deal a lot of damage and eventually put Teixeira out cold. Give me Hill by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Teixeira via decision
Jerry: Teixeira via submission
Anthony: Teixeira via submission
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