5 fights to make for UFC 283 winners

The first UFC pay-per-view of 2023 is in the books. UFC 283 was underway at the Jeunesse Arena in Brazil this past weekend, with two championship bouts on tap. Two new undisputed champions were crowned in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday to cap off a memorable night of scorching MMA action.

Outside of the two title fights, a number of up-and-coming contenders came away with pivotal wins at the recently concluded pay-per-view. The MMA landscape is ever-changing and the victors at UFC 283 will be looking to carry their momentum forward and move on to bigger fights down the line.

On that note, here are five fights to make for the biggest winners at UFC 283: Teixeira vs. Hill.

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#5. Jessica Andrade vs. Manon Fiorot

Jessica Andrade is perhaps the most decorated non-champion in women's MMA. The hard-hitting Brazilian is a force to be reckoned with in the strawweight and flyweight divisions, and is now tied with double-champion Amanda Nunes for most wins by a female fighter in promotional history.

Andrade tied Nunes' record with her three-round masterclass against Lauren Murphy on Saturday. She dominated Murphy from pillar to post, drowning the American with her incredible volume and output to come away with a lopsided unanimous decision win.

The former strawweight queen called for a rematch with current 115-pound champion Zhang Weili after beating Murphy, but is also one or two wins away from a rematch with the 125-pound titleholder, Valentina Shevchenko. Given that her latest win came against a flyweight, the ideal next matchup for Andrade would be France's Manon Fiorot.

With Shevchenko set to defend her title against Alexa Grasso in March, Fiorot vs. Andrade would be the perfect No.1 contender's bout. Both Fiorot and Andrade are primarily strikers, which should make for an exciting high stakes title eliminator.

Fiorot vs. Andrade [Images via @manonfiorot_mma & @jessicammapro on Instagram]

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#4. Johnny Walker vs. Aleksandar Rakic

At his best, Johnny Walker is a world-beater. Unfortunately, the flamboyant Brazilian's struggles with inconsistency have derailed the hype that once surrounded him. However, under the tutelage of John Kavanagh, Walker has seemingly re-discovered his best form.

Walker made quick work of Paul Craig at UFC 283, knocking out the Scottish grappler in the very first round. He is currently on a two-fight win streak and will claim Craig's spot in the light heavyweight top 10 after his latest victory. Given his popularity and style of fighting, a couple of marquee wins could see Walker land a title shot.

A win over another higher-ranked opponent will take Walker one step closer to a championship opportunity. Aleksandar Rakic, who occupies the No.5 berth on the light heavyweight ladder, could be next for the surging 30-year-old.

Rakic hasn't fought since suffering an injury against Jan Blachowicz last year. The towering Austrian is among the best strikers in the division, making a fight against the always-explosive Walker a no-brainer from the matchmakers' point of view. Whenever newly-crowned champion Jamahal Hill defends his belt, this would be an ideal addition to the undercard.

Rakic vs. Walker [Images via @rakic_ufc & @johnnywalker on Instagram]

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#3. Gilbert Burns vs. Colby Covington

Since his barnburner with Khamzat Chimaev last year, Gilbert Burns has struggled to find willing opponents. Despite Burns' call-outs to multiple top-ranked welterweights, he was ultimately matched up with No.12-ranked Neil Magny for UFC 283.

Burns cut through Magny like a hot knife through butter, submitting the American in the very first round. In his post-fight interview, 'Durinho' vowed to finish every opponent he faces en route to the title and called out former interim champion Colby Covington, who sits at No.2 on the 170-pound ladder.

The welterweight title is set to be contested at UFC 286 in March. Former champion Kamaru Usman will look to avenge his knockout loss to 170-pound king Leon Edwards in the pay-per-view headliner and there is no clear-cut No.1 contender in the division.

Khamzat Chimaev's future at welterweight remains uncertain, while Covington has stayed uncharacteristically quiet since his altercation with Jorge Masvidal last year. Belal Muhammad could be in with a shot, but will likely need another big win.

If Chimaev is truly done at 170 pounds, a fight between Covington and Gilbert Burns is the only way to go. Both fighters are coming off big wins and warrant a place in a title eliminator bout. Moreover, the stylistic matchup is incredible, pitting one of the best wrestlers in the division against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist.

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#2. Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja 3 – UFC flyweight championship bout

Brandon Moreno closed out his three-year long rivalry with Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 283 to become the new undisputed flyweight king. With Figueiredo now set to move up to the bantamweight division, Moreno has a line-up of flyweight contenders looking to take his title.

The clear frontrunner to take on Moreno for the championship is Alexandre Pantoja, who has two wins over him. The duo were both contestants on The Ultimate Fighter 24, where Pantoja submitted Moreno quite easily. Two years after their meeting on TUF, he beat him again, this time via decision.

Pantoja is now riding a three-fight win streak, comprising a decision win over Manel Kape and submission victories over Brandon Royval and Alex Perez. Notably, 'The Cannibal' got into it with Moreno backstage in the immediate aftermath of UFC 283 and this matchup appears all but certain.

Pantoja even weighed in as the back-up for the Figueiredo vs. Moreno title fight, which more or less sealed his fate as the next in line for the championship.

Moreno has two losses to Pantoja [Images via @pantoja_oficial & @mmaonpoint on Instagram]

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#1. Jamahal Hill vs. Magomed Ankalaev – UFC light heavyweight championship bout

Jamahal Hill's inspirational journey from relative obscurity to championship gold has been a sight to behold. Just four years after earning a UFC contract in Dana White's Contender Series, Hill took on MMA veteran and Brazilian icon Glover Teixeira for the light heavyweight throne, putting on a masterful performance to win the belt.

Hill has no shortage of contenders waiting in the wings. Of course, former champion Jiri Prochazka, who vacated the title due to injury, is seemingly guaranteed a title shot upon his return. However, the timeline for his return is uncertain, and considering the seriousness of his injury, expect another 205-pound title fight before he comes back.

This leaves Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz as the likely next challengers for the belt. They fought to a draw at the last pay-per-view of 2022, and the consensus was that Ankalaev deserved the judges' nod on the night. While it was a very close fight, Blachowicz did admit soon after that he thought his Russian counterpart deserved the victory.

Clearly, Ankalaev, Prochazka and Hill are the three best fighters in the division. With Prochazka sidelined, there's only one fight to make atop the 205-pound division. 'Sweet Dreams' will likely lock horns with a formidable Dagestani in his next outing.

Ankalaev (left) could be next for Hill (right) [Images via @ankalaev_magomed & sweet_dreams_jhill on Instagram]