Tag: UFC 283

Daniel Cormier details ‘crazy’ in-cage moment between Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill at UFC 283

Daniel Cormier could feel the tension between UFC champs Jamahal Hill and Alex Pereira in the aftermath of UFC 283.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] could feel the tension between UFC champs [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] in the aftermath of UFC 283.

Cormier, who was the commentator and in-cage interviewer at this past weekend’s event in Rio de Janeiro, got an up-close look at the dominant performance Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) turned in over Glover Teixeira to win the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event.

Hill smashed Teixeira over five rounds to claim a unanimous decision, all while UFC middleweight champ Pereira (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was in the corner with his mentor. It only took a few days after the fight for Pereira to call for a showdown with Hill, and there appears to be mutual interest.

The possibility of the champ-vs-champ matchup doesn’t surprise Cormier, he said, given the interaction he felt between Pereira and Hill at UFC 283.

Alex Pereira has the frame of a 205-pounder – a big 205-pounder – but first, and before he can do any of that Jamahal Hill revenge, he’s got to deal with his weight class,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. He’s got to deal with middleweight. But bro, standing in that octagon with him the other day, after Glover Teixeira was in there retiring, the way he was glaring at the champion was crazy. He was piercing through Jamahal Hill standing there, just stoic. Big old dude.”

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Cormier, a former two-division UFC champion in his own right, thinks Pereira and Hill – who have yet to log a single title defense in their respect reigns – need to focus on divisional contenders at the moment. However, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of seeing them come together down the line, because it would be a must-see showdown.

It’s crazy because Pereira’s got options. He’s got so many prospects for championships. This is a guy that many thought was a weak champ. That’s why Khamzat Chimaev was saying right away, ‘I want to fight him at 185.’ But now he’s got Jamahal Hill speaking his name at 205, he’s got Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker on the docket at 185. He’s got options. And I don’t think I would tune out for any of them. Every guy that this man speaks out, I would tune in to watch him. Right now must be a great time to be Alex Pereira. …

“But did you see how he looked at Jamahal Hill? Those eyes would strike fear in most. One guy that’s no afraid though is Hill. That would be an unbelievable fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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Video: UFC’s Jose Aldo tribute highlights a Hall of Fame-worthy career

Check out the UFC’s video tribute to its newest Hall of Famer, former featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

At UFC 283 this past Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, there was plenty for MMA fans to get excited about.

For starters, the card was the promotion’s return to Brazil for the first time since March 2020, right before the pandemic officially kicked into full steam – and that event was held without fans. Then there were the performances – 10 finishes in 15 fights and two new champions were crowned.

But in the middle of it all, the UFC paid tribute to the fighter who was known as “The King of Rio,” former featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]. The Brazilian, who retired from MMA this past fall, was in attendance and taken by surprise when a video package was played to announce him as the next member of the UFC Hall of Fame.

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Aldo ended his career with a 13-7 record in the UFC. He was a two-time champ at 145 pounds, as well as an interim champ and the final featherweight titleholder in WEC history. Because of that, he also was the first featherweight champ in UFC history after the two promotions merged in 2011.

If you missed the broadcast, check out the video above – or just watch it again – to see the UFC’s tribute to Aldo, which features plenty of notable names heaping praise.

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UFC champ Jamahal Hill: I hope ‘my brother’ Anthony Smith gets title shot, ‘even if it is against me’

If friends Jamahal Hill and Anthony Smith end up fighting each other for UFC gold, it won’t be weird.

To be clear, new UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] wants his first title defense to be against Jiri Prochazka, but if the timing doesn’t work out, he’d welcome a fight with his “brother,” [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag].

After all, Hill and Smith originally were slated to meet March 11 until the fight was scrapped in December immediately following Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fighting to a draw at UFC 282. Because that matchup failed to deliver a new 205-pound champ, the UFC turned to Hill and Glover Teixeira for a vacant title fight this past weekend at UFC 283, which Hill dominated to become the first Dana White’s Contender Series alum to earn UFC gold.

Again, Prochazka, the man who had to relinquish the belt Hill scooped up, is who “Sweet Dreams” prefers first and foremost, but there are questions about his timeline to return from a shoulder injury.

So what about Smith, who was tabbed as the UFC 283 backup fighter?

“Nothing would be happier for my brother to get a chance at gold, even if it is against me,” Hill told MMA Junkie. “He’s been around for a long time. He’s been working. He had the hiccup where he broke his ankle, something that was out of his control. Aside from that, he’s been killing it. He put away like three straight contenders, up-and-coming guys, hungry guys.”

Those three wins in a row were against Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute and Ryan Spann, but that was before Smith lost his most recent bout against Ankalaev last July at UFC 277. During the second-round TKO, Smith suffered a broken ankle.

Still, the UFC gave Smith the opportunity to back up the title fight between Hill and Teixeira on four weeks’ notice. Although Smith ultimately wasn’t needed, he failed to make championship weight at UFC 283.

Smith previously fought for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2019 when he lost a unanimous decision to Jon Jones at UFC 235. Hill, who is friends with Smith and trained with him ahead of UFC 283, hopes missing weight doesn’t affect his chance at a second title shot.

“They didn’t exactly give him the most amount of time,” Hill said. “I think they brought it up to him, mentioned, ‘Hey, we could probably use somebody as a backup.’ Then they didn’t officially make him the backup until Christmas or something like that. He was heavy, you know what I mean? Just wasn’t enough time. …

“I hope they wouldn’t hold that weight miss against him just because of the type of notice he had. Plus (he was) coming off an injury, too. People talk about the weight cut. Dude, he just broke his f*cking ankle. (He was) coming off the couch from an injury.”

The way things worked out, Smith’s presence in Rio de Janeiro ended up benefiting Hill, which he’s thankful for.

“Tremendously,” Hill said of Smith helping him before fighting Teixeira. “Him in the back before the fight, just talking, just making sure my head was level and understanding and being ready for just the moment. He helped a lot with that. He said everything and brought everything. He was on point.”

Video: Who made the biggest non-title impact at UFC 283?

With 10 finishes in 15 fights and a pair of title bouts atop the card, there were plenty of newsworthy moments at UFC 283.

With 10 finishes in 15 fights and a pair of title bouts atop the card, there were plenty of newsworthy moments at UFC 283.

In the final two fights in Rio de Janeiro, a lot of attention was given to Brandon Moreno for his flyweight title win over Deiveson Figueiredo and Jamahal Hill for his vacant light heavyweight title win over ex-champ Glover Teixeira.

But to just focus on those two new belt holders would be doing a disservice to so many other big performances in Brazil. Gilbert Burns took out Neil Magny with ease at welterweight. Jessica Andrade put herself back into the title conversation at women’s strawweight. Johny Walker took out Paul Craig in a big way.

And then there was the Bonfim brothers, Gabriel and Ismael, each of whom won their official UFC debuts, and heavyweight Jailton Almeida, who stayed unbeaten with a destructive finish.

So who outside the title fight winners made the biggest impact Saturday?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Nolan King broke it down with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. Check out their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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Alex Pereira issues challenge to fellow UFC champ Jamahal Hill: ‘What about knocking me out?’

Alex Pereira wants revenge for his mentor, Glover Teixeira, while chasing UFC double champ status against Jamahal Hill.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] wants revenge for his coach and mentor, Glover Teixeira, while chasing UFC double champ status.

Pereira (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), the current UFC middleweight champion, has expressed interest in moving up to light heavyweight to challenge newly minted titleholder [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag].

The Brazilian appeared in the comments section of Hill’s (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) latest Instagram post, which was directed at injured former titleholder Jiri Prochazka, and issued a challenge to “Sweet Dreams” (via Instagram):

Hill won the vacant 205-pound belt this past weekend with a dominant unanimous decision win that sent Teixeira into retirement. Pereira was in Teixeira’s corner for the fight, and it’s clear Hill caught his attention.

Whether the UFC would be willing to give consideration to Pereira moving up in weight remains to be seen. He won the 185-pound title at UFC 281 in November when he scored a TKO of Israel Adesanya, and all signs have pointed to another fight with Adesanya being his next move.

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UFC champ Jamahal Hill says he’s ‘better than Jiri everywhere,’ wants first title defense vs. Prochazka

Jamahal Hill has the utmost confidence he’d beat Jiri Prochazka in a UFC title fight.

UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] has a name in mind for his first title defense, and it’s a big one.

The newly crowned champ is looking to fight against the man who last wore the belt and who never lost it, [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag].

Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) won the vacant 205-pound title by defeating Glover Teixeira (33-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) this past Saturday in the main event of UFC 283 in Brazil. The belt had been vacant since Prochazka relinquished it in November after suffering a shoulder injury.

Hill hopes Prochazka can be his first title defense. It’s a big fight and one that “Sweet Dreams” is certain he’ll win.

“I’m hoping that it’s him, because I’ve wanted the Jiri fight for a long time,” Hill told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I know that’s a big fight. The magnitude of that fight would be really great, and I think I win. I think I’m better than Jiri everywhere.”

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It’s uncertain when Prochazka will be fit to return to the octagon. Hill has no problem waiting for a good six months, but if it’s anything beyond that, he’ll just take the next contender in line.

“I’m willing to wait till July, August, but past that I think it’s next man up,” Hill explained. “I don’t think they (UFC) feeling Magomed (Ankalaev) like that just because, you know, the way he responded to the decision of being a draw, talking about like, ‘I’ll never fight for the UFC again.’ That’s not going to get you a title shot, bro. They might put him through another test. I want the Jiri fight, but I’m willing to fight whoever is next man up. I’m here to roll everybody. I achieved my dream, now I’m dream blocking.”

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Jan. 24: Big moves for Jamahal Hill after UFC 283

The UFC’s first two title fights of the new year are complete – and two divisions have new No. 1 fighters.

The UFC’s first two title fights of the new year are complete – and two divisions have new No. 1 fighters.

At UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Jamahal Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was mostly dominant against former champion Glover Teixeira (33-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) to win the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event. And in the co-feature, Brandon Moreno (21-6-2 MMA, 9-3-2 UFC) likely wrapped up his rivalry with Deiveson Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) with a third-round TKO to unify the flyweight titles.

Across the rest of the card, there were some other movers and shakers, as well, like Gilbert Burns (21-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC), who took out perennial contender Neil Magny (27-10 MMA, 20-9 UFC) with ease at welterweight. And former women’s strawweight champ Jessica Andrade (24-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) dominated Lauren Murphy (16-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in a flyweight bout.

So what did the big card in Brazil do for our rankings? Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lists above.

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Jamahal Hill blown away by Glover Teixeira’s durability at UFC 283: ‘I had to go and truly earn this title’

Jamahal Hill praises UFC legend Glover Teixeira after sending him off into retirement following his title victory.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] has many takeaways from his championship win this past Saturday night at UFC 283, but one might stand out above all.

Hill captured the UFC light heavyweight title in dominant fashion by dismantling Glover Teixeira over five rounds in Rio de Janeiro. And in those 25 minutes, many things happened. Hill showed much improvement to his game, became the first fighter from Dana White’s Contender Series to earn UFC gold, and the list goes on.

But something that can’t be left out is that Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) closed out Teixeira’s career as the Brazilian star announced his retirement immediately after the fight. And for Hill, being part of Teixeira’s career was a meaningful moment for him.

“It was an unspeakable honor,” Hill told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “In Brazil, in his home country, to do that and just everything how it happened, it was just incredible, man. It was a moment. And that’s what the emotion was at the end.

“It was an incredible moment, you know. From just the hostility in the crowd to going in and performing how I wanted to perform, and just how tough the fight itself was with him never going away. Yeah, bro, it was just a mixture of all those things. He didn’t lay down. He didn’t give it to me easy. I had to go and truly earn this title.”

The fight was extremely one-sided in Hill’s favor. He won all five rounds on all three judges’ scorecards and close to stopping Teixeira (33-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) on more than one occasion. Yet, the Brazilian somehow found ways to stay in the fight despite the accumulated damage.

Hill was taken away by Teixeira’s toughness.

“It was a tough fight,” Hill said. “It was a hell of an opponent, legendary, Hall of Famer. The dude’s toughness is understated. He’s not just tough, he was tough, and he was actively doing the right things to try to win the fight. He was still active. He was still throwing. He was still looking to get a dominant position. The entire time, he never once wore the pain of the fight.”

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Video: Do questions remain in the Brandon Moreno-Deiveson Figueiredo rivalry after UFC 283?

Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo appear to be headed in different directions after their fourth fight concluded at UFC 283.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] and [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] had their historic fourth fight at UFC 283, and many believe it brought a definitive end to the rivalry between the two flyweights.

Moreno (21-5-2 MMA, 9-2-2 UFC) recaptured the 125-pound belt when Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) was deemed unfit to continue due to an eye injury, resulting in a third-round TKO in the co-main event clash at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

With the win, Moreno moved ahead 2-1-1 in the series and seemingly put the rivalry on the back burner for good. That seems especially true with Figueiredo announcing plans to move up to the bantamweight division going forward.

Is there any unsolved business between the two at this stage? Can Figueiredo find success in his new division? And who should be first to challenge for Moreno’s newly unified belt?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia answered those questions and more with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above. And don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.

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Anthony Smith addresses weight miss for UFC 283 backup role: ‘It’ll never happen again’

Anthony Smith discusses his weight miss for his backup role for the light heavyweight title fight Saturday at UFC 283.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] hasn’t been forgiving with fighters who miss weight, and won’t start now that he’s found himself on the wrong side of the scale, himself.

The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger missed weight for his backup role for the vacant title fight between Jamahal Hill and Glover Teixeira this past Saturday in the UFC 283 main event. His services weren’t needed. Both Hill and Teixeira made weight and fought as scheduled. Hill won the title in a unanimous decision.

Smith (36-17 MMA, 11-7 UFC) came in four pounds over the 205-pound limit Friday in Rio de Janeiro. “Lionheart” assured fans he did his best to make weight, but things didn’t work out.

“It wasn’t for a lack of effort,” Smith said on Michael Bisping’s “Believe You Me” podcast. “It wasn’t for lack of effort. I spent 48 straight hours cutting weight. It wasn’t a lack of effort. No one saw me on the scale looking like I had an additional 20 pounds to lose. I got close, but it wasn’t close enough, and it’ll never happen again.

“I’ll be the first one on the scale for my next fight. And I’m not a serial weight misser. It happens. It wasn’t on purpose.”

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Smith is not going to make any excuse, but did say fans are unaware of the many things that go behind the scenes.

As for his level of criticism toward fighters who miss weight, Smith’s stance remains the same. He said he’ll continue to condemn those who don’t hit the contracted weight.

“I’ve been an absolute a**hole about people missing weight,” Smith said. “You have one job: You have to show up on weight. That’s the easiest part of the job. I stand by everything I’ve said about everyone else. You have to make weight. That is not an option. I’ll accept whatever sh*t is coming my way. It doesn’t change my perspective on anything.”

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