Coronations Of New Champions Headline Key Takeaways From UFC 283

2023 is officially off to a hot start for the Ultimate Fighting Championship after the promotion staged its first pay-per-view card of the year, UFC 283, which took place at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last Saturday, January 21st.

The main event saw the UFC light heavyweight championship finally find a new bearer as Jamahal Hill of the United States answered the question and put on a performance of a lifetime with a five-round domination of Brazilian former titleholder Glover Teixeira.

In the co-headliner, one of the UFC's most thrilling rivalries has finally been put to rest as Mexico's Brandon Moreno became a two-time UFC flyweight champion with a third-round TKO win over hometown bet Deiveson Figueiredo.

The card also saw dominant outings from Gilbert Burns, Jessica Andrade and Johnny Walker.

Without further ado, here are some key takeaways from the UFC's first offering of 2023.

Jamahal Hill's Stock Skyrockets

Heading into Saturday night's marquee matchup, Jamahal Hill was the No. 7-ranked light heavyweight contender in the UFC, with guys like Anthony Smith, Magomed Ankalaev, Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic all ranked ahead of him.

By the time UFC 283 was done. Hill had leapfrogged in the rankings to claim the distinction of being the best light heavyweight in the UFC today.

It can also be argued that Hill is legitimately one of the best 205-pounders in the world right now, especially after his showing against Teixeira.

While others may beg to differ and say that Jiri Prochazka is the true top light heavyweight because of his stoppage win over Teixeira, it's worth noting that the Czech was never as dominant as Hill was against Teixeira and was actually losing the fight, save for that last-minute submission attempt.

While there's still no definite timeline with regard to Prochazka's return to action, it's safe to he would be the top contender to Hill.

If that fight does get made this year, then fans will likely get to see who the real best light heavyweight in the world is.

Brandon Moreno Expected To Reign For Years

Before Brandon Moreno was even in the discussion as a top contender in the UFC's flyweight division, Deiveson Figueiredo was already wreaking havoc and looked every bit like the 125-pound "God of War."

That was until Moreno made him look human in their first bout and then defeated him in the rematch.

At UFC 283, the flyweight rivals met for the fourth time and Moreno put his rivalry with Figueiredo out to pasture with a dominant TKO victory.

Following the loss, Figueiredo announced that he would be heading up to the bantamweight division.

As for Moreno, it sure looks like he's destined for a lengthy title reign as the UFC's 125-pound kingpin.

Since coming back to the UFC, Moreno has defeated Kai Kara-France twice, Jussier Formiga, Brandon Royval, and Figueiredo twice.

He is certainly looking like the top dog in the weight class.

Up next is likely a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja.

A win for Moreno here would definitely cement his stature as one of the greatest 125-pounders to ever grace the Octagon.

Bright Future Awaits Deiveson Figueiredo At Bantamweight

Deiveson Figueiredo announced that he would be heading up to the bantamweight division following his defeat to Brandon Moreno at UFC 283.

Considering that he looked drawn out before the weigh-ins, this will likely be a smart move that pays off well for "Deus da Guerra."

No longer having to punish his body by cutting down to 125 pounds, Figueiredo at 135 pounds could be a deadly mix of speed and power that could prove to be a problem for the top of the heap in the bantamweight division.

Figueiredo going up against the likes of Sean O'Malley, Petr Yan, Corey Sandhagen, Rob Font, Merab Dvashvili, Dominick Cruz, and even champion Aljamain Sterling would all be intriguing matchups.

Title Shot Could Await Gilbert Burns

While Jamahal Hill and Brandon Moreno were the biggest winners at UFC 283, it's hard to look past what Gilbert Burns did.

The Brazilian submission specialist dominated the winningest welterweight in the promotion in Neil Magny and picked up a first-round submission win.

Up next for Burns is likely an opponent in the Top Five, and if he can get past that, he likely gets another shot at the title.