The first big title fight of the year will take place in the UFC this weekend, with Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill fighting it out for the light heavyweight belt. All eyes will turn to Rio de Janeiro to see who will be crowned champion as the UFC also heads to South America for the first time in 2023.
Saturday night’s main event at the UFC 283 is shaping up to be a real classic match. Teixeira is the veteran who has dominated for the better part of two decades, while Hill is the in-form newcomer. Both men employ very different fighting styles as well, making this a fascinating contest. We break down everything you need to know in order to bet on this event with our expert stats and analysis.
| Event: | UFC 283 Main Event, for Light Heavyweight title |
| Venue: | Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Date: | January 21st, 2023, from 6:00 PM EST |
Despite having a combined 53 mixed martial arts fights between them, this will be the first meeting between Teixeira and Hill.
Here’s a quick overview of the Teixeira Hill odds from the best UFC online betting sites ahead of Saturday night’s fight:
Sportsbooks have this fight about as tight as it gets, with the two fighters neck and neck in the bookmakers’ odds. Jamahal Hill holds the slight edge, paying 1.80 (4/5) to win, against Glover Teixeira’s 2.00 (1/1).
Many sportsIn-play modeLive streaming25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsIn 2021, Glover Teixeira landed one of the biggest wins in his career, defeating Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. This earnt the 43-year-old Brazilian a title fight against Jiri Prochazka, which he lost by submission in the dying moments of the fifth round. That was six months ago, and now Teixeira is stepping back into the ring for his next fight and another attempt at the title.
Those who are familiar with mixed martial arts won’t be surprised at all to hear that Teixeira’s strength is grappling. As a Brazilian, he’s fluent in jiu-jitsu and finds the most success when he can get his opponents to the ground and extract a submission. If Teixeira can get Hill off his feet, he’ll have the upper hand by far.
Jamahal Hill heads into this clash looking like one of the organization’s top prospects, having won his past three fights in the UFC. In fact, the 31-year-old has only lost once, a gritty performance against Paul Craig in 2021, where he suffered an arm injury. Outside of that, he’s been flawless, accruing his 11-1-0 record as a professional.
Hill is a striker and will have an advantage over Teixeira if this match can remain standing. The American will be looking to avoid any grappling, and have this a straight kickboxing contest where he can wear the veteran down, then score a knockout.
For those who like taking a punt on the hottest MMA betting odds, here are the wagers we suggest making ahead of the UFC Fight Night this weekend:
First things first, we say that the young buck is going to win this one. Even though Hill was still in middle school when Teixeira debuted as a professional and couldn’t buy alcohol to watch his opponent’s first UFC fight, Hill’s form is strong enough to see him past Teixeira’s experience.
Expect Hill to come out swinging and dominate this match early on, silencing the loud Rio de Janeiro crowd. It won’t be straightforward, but the hunger and power of the young fighter should win out here. Picking Hill outright is the conservative bet to make, with a return of 1.80 (4/5).
For a slightly higher return, specifically pick Hill to win by knockout or submission. Of these two, knock is far more likely. Hill has ruthlessly knocked out his last three opponents and another four before that across his eleven wins. The 31-year-old has vicious power and an excellent striking game that has seen him race to a title fight after only 12 professional fights.
Hill will be on his guard to defend against takedowns and use his superior reach to wear Teixeira down. When the veteran tires or become desperate to land a takedown, Hill will capitalize and score a knockout to make the judges throw out their scorecards. Still, even the Brazilian bookmakers see this outcome as the most likely to happen.
Those who are looking to place a really lucrative bet will want to consider wagering on Hill’s knockout occurring in the fifth round. Teixeira has lost eight times in his career – only one of those has occurred quickly, where he caught an unlucky punch 13 seconds into a fight. Outside of this, Teixeira has lost by decision six times, and in his most recent fight, to a fifth-round submission.
What this means – Teixeira is good at taking fights deep. He’s a wily veteran, and while Hill has scored plenty of early knockouts, he’ll have to work for this one. Picking a fifth round knockout isn’t that outrageous when considering Teixeira’s experience, yet it brings a healthy payday of 34.00 (33/1).
Tune in on Saturday night to see who will prevail in this clash of veteran vs. newcomer and grappler vs. striker. Teixeira will be the home favorite, but our UFC 283 betting preview and MMA betting prediction says that Hill will have the upper hand and should win with a late knockout. Regardless of the result, there are sure to be some highlights, so be sure to watch.
