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UFC 283, the promotion’s first visit to Brazil since 2020, was a highly anticipated event, particularly due to the two title bouts at the top of the card.
While the crowd didn’t get the results they were hoping for in those two title fights, UFC 283 delivered the goods, with a number of fighters marking themselves out with big wins.
With two new titleholders as well as a number of fighters climbing into title contention, the ramifications of this event will be felt for some time.
Here are the five biggest winners from UFC 283: Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill.
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#5. Jailton Almeida – defeated Shamil Abdurakhimov in a UFC heavyweight bout
One of the most talked-about fighters at UFC 283 was Jailton Almeida. The heavyweight prospect had already gone 3-0 in the octagon since debuting in 2022, and most fans expected him to deal with Shamil Abdurakhimov handily on Saturday night.
In an impressive showing, ‘Malhadinho’ dominated the Dagestani veteran on the ground, taking him down in the first round and attacking him throughout with punches and elbows.
The second round was no different, and it came as no surprise when the fight was stopped after Almeida hammered Abdurakhimov with big shots from the back mount.
Where does Almeida go from here? Abdurakhimov was ranked No.15 in the heavyweight division, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see ‘Malhadinho’ take that spot.
However, the truth is that with the power and the ground skills he’s shown, Almeida would probably be the favorite to beat almost all of the fighters ranked between No.14 and No.7.
It’s time to give him a big fight, because he’s clearly a massive talent.
#4. Johnny Walker – defeated Paul Craig in a UFC light heavyweight bout
After suffering back-to-back losses to Jamahal Hill and Thiago Santos in 2022, it seemed like Johnny Walker could probably be written off as a contender for the UFC light heavyweight title.
Back in 2019, it looked like the Brazilian wildman could do no wrong after he reeled off three vicious knockout finishes in a row.
However, in the years that followed, Walker ended up being a little exposed as a flashy fighter who lacked substance in deeper fights.
That seems to have changed now, though. Walker looked brilliant in his September win over Ion Cutelaba, and then repeated the trick in his win over Paul Craig last night.
Sure, last night’s win was back to the flashy, violent fare he showed in 2019, but his performance was still slightly more measured. He didn’t rush things, and when he saw an opening, he snatched it with both hands.
The win should elevate Walker back into the top 10 at 205lbs, and judging by this showing, he may yet be able to surprise people by becoming a true contender. This was probably his best win in years.
#3. Gilbert Burns – defeated Neil Magny in a UFC welterweight bout
After taking the majority of 2022 off following his crazy war with Khamzat Chimaev, Gilbert Burns was back to business at UFC 283.
After primarily using his stand-up in his fights with Chimaev, Kamaru Usman, and Tyron Woodley, ‘Durinho’ showed off his grappling again to beat Neil Magny.
Watching this bout, it was hard to believe that Magny was also ranked in the top 15 at welterweight. Burns took him down with ease and made him look amateurish on the ground, slicing through his defenses to submit him with an arm triangle in the first round.
It was a fitting reminder that Burns remains one of the best 170-pound fighters in the world. While he might need one more win to secure a shot at welterweight gold, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in a title bout later this year.
Post-fight, Burns called out Colby Covington for a fight, and assuming ‘Chaos’ isn’t locked into a clash with Chimaev, that sounds like the perfect path to take.
#2. Brandon Moreno – defeated Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC flyweight title
The UFC’s first-ever quadrilogy was always going to produce an exciting fight, and sure enough, the flyweight title bout between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno didn’t disappoint.
In the end, though, it was Moreno who came out on top, much to the disappointment of the Brazilian crowd, who were unsurprisingly behind ‘The God of War’.
After a close first round, ‘The Assassin Baby’ seemed to be pulling away in the second. It looked like Figueiredo had slowed down dramatically, and that allowed his Mexican foe to crack him with cleaner punches and kicks, leading to a big shot in the third that closed his right eye.
Figueiredo tried to claim that the shot was a poke, but it did appear that the shot was legal. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, that didn’t stop his eye from swelling up badly, resulting in a doctor’s stoppage at the end of the third round.
Will we see a fifth bout between the two? As Figueiredo claimed he was done with 125lbs after the clash, it’s doubtful.
That means Moreno should almost certainly be considered one of last night’s biggest winners, and the question now turns to who he’ll defend against next. Given that he was once written off as a low-level action fighter, the fact that he’s now the flyweight kingpin is remarkable.
#1. Jamahal Hill – defeated Glover Teixeira for the UFC light heavyweight title
The biggest winner at UFC 283 was undoubtedly Jamahal Hill. ‘Sweet Dreams’ came into his light heavyweight title bout with Glover Teixeira somewhat underestimated, hardly surprising given that he’d never beaten a top-ranked foe before.
However, when it came down to it, he exposed Teixeira’s plodding stand-up game throughout the bout, picking him apart with sharp punches and nasty head kicks.
‘Sweet Dreams’ even defended well on the ground – the biggest question mark on him before the fight – and came close to finishing his veteran foe in both the third and fourth rounds.
In the end, it was a clear unanimous decision win for Hill over the Brazilian, who decided to retire after the bout.
Does the win make Hill the UFC's best at 205lbs? It’s hard to say. After all, he may not be favored against either Jiri Prochazka or Magomed Ankalaev, and it’s likely that he’ll have to face one of them in his first title defense.
Either way, the fact that he can now call himself a UFC champion – the first one produced by Dana White’s Contender Series – makes him probably the biggest winner of the UFC 283 card.
