Check out the results and highlights for Chris Eubank vs Liam Smith

Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Smith both look to cement one more run at world level honours by winning this high-profile main event from the UK, one which has gotten some added attention due to some of Smith’s smack-talk at the final presser crossing the line into homophobia.

Eubank (32-2, 23 KOs) is coming off a frustrating end to last year when his putative opponent Conor Benn failed a drugs test before a fight in October, but had a solid though scrappy win over Liam Williams before that. Smith (32-3-1, 19 KOs), meanwhile, is coming off a decent run of victories since his last loss in early 2021 and is looking to continue that momentum here.

This page will provide live coverage of the main event. This card is available on DAZN in the US and other international territories, and on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK. It will start at 1pm ET (6pm GMT) with ring-walks for the main event expected at around 5:15pm ET (10:15pm GMT), but stay tuned here for updates if that changes.

Round-by-Round

Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith

Round 1: Eubank visibly the bigger man, but whether he can make his length count is open to question. Does land a couple fast jabs early. Backs into the corner but Smith’s attempt to close distance ends in a tangle. Then they edge back into the middle of the ring and Smith lands a neat overhand right, then a jab to the body. Some nice head movement from Smith slips a combination from Eubank, then they tangle in the corner. Good right to the body. Eubank’s jabbing well, but Smith’s started finding distance faster than Eubank’s coaches would have wanted. Very close round, but Smith 10-9 Eubank

Round 2: Eubank opens with an uppercut, a neat idea to try to stop Smith’s head movement. Smith, on his part, is looking for looping overhands from both sides, quite successfully. Eubank’s jab is sharp and landing, but as ever for him he doesn’t fully extend it, meaning Smith is closer than he could be when he counters it. Couple more uppercuts as the round closes give Eubank an advantage, but he’d have wanted to be at range more than this. 10-9 Eubank, 19-19

Round 3: Smith starting to commit more to feinting before he comes in now. Eubank jabbing less for some reason. It’s still getting home when he throws it though, Smith needs to be careeful not to hang in mid range as he did for a second there. And Eubank does pick up the pace more as the round goes on. Smith just sitting tight, then opens up inside, takes an uppercut in return. Good round, 10-9 Eubank, 29-28

Round 4: Eubank opens with a decent jab again, but then a big counter hurts him! And he’s down! He continues, but he’s all over the shop and the ref jumps in! Eubank tries to continue, he has no idea where he is! Sensational finish! Liam Smith wins by TKO!

Smith proved something there, and Eubank’s face has swollen up badly in the aftermath. Eubank both completely out of it and looks like he has a broken cheekbone. A counter right started it, the a massive uppercut and right hand on the ropes dropped him, and after that it was over.

Results

Middleweight: Chris Eubank Jr TKO4 Liam Smith

Cruiserweight: Richard Riakporhe TKO4 Krzysztof Glowacki

Welterweight, British and Commonwealth titles: Ekow Essuman SD Chris Kongo 1114-114, 116-113 115-114

Heavyweight: Joseph Parker UD Jack Massey 96-93 97-92, 97-93

Heavyweight: Frazer Clarke RTD4 Kevin Espindola

Heavyweight: Matty Harris TKO1 Jiri Surmanj

Cruiserweight: Scott Forrest def Amine Boucetta 60-54 (referee’s score)

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Jose Aldo explains why he wanted former president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro to stay in his Orlando home.

Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is proud of hosting former president of Brazil in his Orlando home, in the United States. Following some backlash from the public who do not agree with his political views, the Brazilian explained the reason why he decided to ex-head of state.

In a conversation on Flow Podcast, one of the biggest podcasts in Brazil (transcribed by Ag Fight), Aldo explained that he lets lots of people stay at his home. In fact, the former champion says he has hosted several celebrities before opening the doors to Bolsonaro.

“I’ve had that house for a while now. Now I have two more in the United States. It’s thematic house. It’s about fighting, there are belts. I lend the house to everyone. The house has got nine bedrooms, it’s big. A lot of people stay there. Actors, singers, athletes and non-athletes. Friends of mine. The guy (Bolsonaro) called me and I said ‘Stay at my house’.

“At the same time, there’s the Minions room,” Aldo said. “Everybody will want to see if it’s left or right wing. I want to put a sign there that reads ‘The president of Brazil stayed here’. There’s a lot of that going on in America. In Las Vegas, I like to stay in the bedroom where Elvis stayed.”

Despite supporting the views of a far-right president, who is known for supporting the return of a military dictatorship in Brazil, as well as racist, homophobic and sexist speech, among other issues, Aldo says the main reason he let Bolsonaro stay in his house isn’t about politics. In fact, Jose claims it was merely a business decision.

“The country is divided. Everyone on the other side will criticize me. I wasn’t thinking about that, though. There’s a good side and a bad side to everything you do in your life. The street is always crowded now. I’ve been getting so many messages from people who want to stay at the house. I’m sorry, but some people just think small. They have no eye for business.”

Jose Aldo retired from MMA in August 2022, following a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishivili. During his career, Brazilian became known as the greatest featherweight champion in UFC history, with seven title defenses under his belt. Among his wins are notable names such as Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung, Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas.

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See who we are picking in the main event of UFC 283.

The UFC light heavyweight title is on the line in Rio de Janeiro this Saturday. Competing for the strap are former champion Glover Teixeira and the surging Jamahal Hill.

Teixeira has been here before, he won the title from Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267 in 2021. It’s new territory for Hill, though, who has headlined just twice before and has never fought outside the US.

The BE staff mostly think Teixeira will get his hand raised on Saturday night, due to his experience and versatility. However, there’s plenty others who think that Hill’s creativity and finishing power might be enough to make him a UFC champion.

You can see our picks below. Don’t forget to add yours in the comments, too!

Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill

Anton Tabuena: Teixeira should be the more well rounded and more technical MMA fighter by far. I normally wouldn’t hesitate to pick a guy with all those advantages, but he is 43 and just went through a war with Prochazka. Hill is tough and hits hard, and with an aging fighter, sometimes that’s the only thing you need. I can see this going either way, and I’m honestly leaning towards Hill, but I would hate myself if I didn’t pick Glover and he won again. I’m rooting for the old guy to fend off father time just enough to win another belt. Glover Teixeira by TKO.

Zane Simon: In terms of technical class, Teixeira really is a cut above Hill. Even just purely as a striker, he’s a more varied, more nuanced, and more defensively responsible puncher. He’s also a lot slower. Against more wild fighters, Teixeira has made that work by being ready to pounce on every wild mistake and clinch entry. But Hill’s game is a pretty simple on of jabs, kicks and 1-2s. If he can stay at his range without falling into the clinch, he’ll likely be able to really light Teixeira up early and hurt him. If he doesn’t finish him there, then there’s a great chance Teixeira rallies and starts breaking him down for a late stoppage, but I’ll take Jamahal Hill via TKO, round 1.

Victor Rodriguez:

I feel like Glover should absolutely win by being more technical with his boxing and having a superb ground game. And yet I can’t shake the feeling that Hill can turn this fight around or end it with just a few touches. Not only can Glover be touched, he’s been touched before and slept hard. I’m not saying this as a knock or anything, it’s just what we’ve seen. But we’ve also seen his resurgence in being a much more tactical fighter with better defense than the guy that got dropped and almost put away by Karl Roberson and company. Because if that guy goes in there against Hill, he’s gonna get hurt bad. Gonna say that instead we get the guy that we saw against Big Jan and fought smart and remained crisp. And that guy uses layers to outhustle the young gunslinger. Glover Teixeira by TKO.

Staff picking Teixeira: Bissell, Lewis, Anton, Kristen, Stephie, Victor
Staff picking Hill: Eddie, Chris, Dayne, Zane

About the author: Tim Bissell is a writer, editor and deputy site manager for Bloody Elbow. He has covered combat sports since 2015. Tim covers news and events and has also written longform and investigative pieces. (full bio)

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Check out the live results and highlights for the UFC 283 prelims.

Stay up to date with what’s happening today with the UFC 283 preliminary card, which is going down from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The card’s featured prelim will be the swan song for an MMA legend, when the UFC’s former light heavyweight champion, Maurício “Shogun” Rua makes his final walk to the Octagon to face Ihor Potieria. It’s crazy to think that Shogun has been competing in MMA since 2002, with most of his tenure either occurring in PRIDE FC, or with the UFC. Potieria has a special opportunity to eat a legend, but you better believe that entire Brazilian crowd, and every Shogun stan, will go absolutely bananas if Rua finds a way to pull off the win.

There’s also a star in the making on the prelims in Brazil’s own Jailton Almeida, who will be putting his 12-fight winning streak on the line against the UFC’s #15 ranked heavyweight, Shamil Abdurakhimov. Almeida has a wicked ground game, and after competing on the Contender Series (and making his UFC debut) at 205-pounds, Jailton has posted up back-to-back first round submissions up at heavyweight. In a completely different space, there’s Abdurakhimov, who has been stopped with strikes in his last three matches.

The early prelims begin at 4:00pm ET/1:00pm, PT, immediately followed by the regular preliminary card. Both broadcasts can be streamed on ESPN+. The PPV main card is slated for 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT, and can be purchased on ESPN+.

Prelims:

• Maurício Rua vs. Ihor Potieria: Light Heavyweight
• Gregory Rodrigues vs. Brunno Ferreira: Middleweight
• Thiago Moisés vs. Melquizael Costa: Lightweight
• Gabriel Bonfim vs. Mounir Lazzez: Welterweight
• Jailton Almeida vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov: Heavyweight

Early prelims:

• Ismael Bonfim vs. Terrance McKinney: Lightweight
• Warlley Alves vs. Nicolas Dalby: Welterweight
• Josiane Nunes vs. Zarah Fairn: Featherweight
• Cody Stamann vs. Luan Lacerda: Bantamweight
• Luan Lacerda vs. Saimon Oliveira: Bantamweight

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Burns asked the question and Muhammed gave the answer. 

If Gilbert Burns wants an answer to why Belal Muhammad passed him in the UFC rankings, then he should compare their recent wins.

Ahead of his fight against Neil Magny at UFC 283 on Saturday, Burns aired out some of his grievances regarding the current landscape of the welterweight division. According to ‘Durinho,’ trying to find an opponent for the pay-per-view event was frustrating. But even more frustrating was getting bumped in the UFC rankings by Muhammad, who he claimed turned him down for a fight.

“How the heck Belal Muhammad beats Sean Brady, I have nothing to do with that, and he passes me in the rankings?,” said Burns at UFC 283 media day (video provided by MMA Fighting). “I got it. Okay, he got a couple of wins, but he never beat me. Why [did] he take my place? And he declined the fight when they offered we fight each other here in Rio. ‘Oh no.’ Why no? Because he got my place, but I think if he was still No. 5, he would say, ‘Yes.’

“That’s one thing I don’t like,” continued Burns. “It’s out of my control, but that’s a little frustrating to me. How the f—k did this guy pass me in the rankings? He never beat me and he doesn’t want to fight me. Why?”

Muhammad answered Burns, reminding the Brazilian of what they had done in their recent Octagon appearances. ‘Remember the Name’ bounced Sean Brady from unbeaten ranks at UFC 280. That was eighth consecutive win, and fourth over ranked competition.

Before his ‘Fight of the Night’ appearance against Khamzat Chimaev, Burns returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Stephen Thompson at UFC 264. For Muhammad, four wins versus one win should hold more weight.

“Lol because [you] have one ranked win and I have four,” tweeted Muhammad. “And [you] begged for Masvidal fight for the last seven months.”

Though Muhammad turned him down, Burns hopes the UFC offers him that fight again after he defeats Magny.

UFC 283 goes down on Saturday, January 21, at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

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Dig into the two title fights headlining UFC 283, topped by former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira looking to claim gold one more time over the youthful Jamahal Hill.

For those who regularly check in on MMA websites, UFC 283 is a major boon. There isn’t a fight that appears to be misplaced on a PPV main card. Even better, there’s a pair of title fights that has everyone vacillating on who will end up walking out with the gold. The only reason the PPV hasn’t been hyped as a tentpole event is none of the title fight participants have the recognition that comes with being one of the UFC’s faces. There’s no intention to disrespect Glover Teixeira, Jamahal Hill, Deiveson Figueiredo, or Brandon Moreno, but none of them have broken through. There’s no doubt the UFC still has hopes for Hill and Moreno to do so, but neither are there quite yet.

Regardless, both title fights are exceptionally well-matched. We have seen Figueiredo and Moreno do the damn thing – this will be the fourth and final time they collide – but there’s a lot of unknown quantities between the fresh matchup that is Teixeira and Hill.

For the rest of the main card, click here. For the televised prelims, click here. For the early prelims, click here. For an audio preview, click here.

Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill, Light Heavyweight

Glover Teixeira wasn’t the first UFC champion to hold gold in their 40’s when he upended Jan Blachowicz towards the end of 2021. However, he was the first to have first held gold in his 40’s, Randy Couture and Daniel Cormier winning their first titles while still in their 30’s. Perhaps even more impressive, Teixeira delivered what is likely to be his career-defining contest in his unsuccessful defense against Jiri Prochazka at the age of 42. Teixeira and Prochazka’s back-and-forth contest was an instant classic, FOTY in 2022 for many publications. That he came up short is an afterthought for many.

Unfortunately, in the midst of how great that contest was, many have overlooked a few of the lessons that should have been taken from the fight. First, there’s no doubt Teixeira showed heart for days in the contest. He absorbed insane amounts of damage from Prochazka, only to continue marching forward. However, he ultimately did tap to a RNC that wasn’t fully sunk in by Prochazka. Blame that on fatigue, blame that on the cumulative damage, whatever. He ultimately did tap… and that means Hill knows he can be broken. I’m not saying that to be a jerk. I have no doubt nobody is more frustrated by Teixeira tapping than Teixeira. It is what it is at this point….

The other thing to take out of that contest is the amount of damage Teixeira absorbed. Think about the decline many fighters have suffered immediately after enduring an epic battle. Rory MacDonald never appeared to be the same after his classic with Robbie Lawler. Lawler had one more legendary performance after that, but neither he nor Carlos Condit looked the same after their battle. Old school fans will remember Don Frye and Ken Shamrock beating the ever-living crap out of each other, only to never be the same afterwards. Some would point out these are fighters who have had excessive miles put on their body. Teixeira is 43 years old, having made his debut over 20 years ago. The miles are there. His title win was so shocking because of the miles.

Despite that, Teixeira could continue to shock everyone. Sure, he’s glacially slow, but he has been for years. He’s proven he knows how to work around that. Teixeira still hits like a truck if he’s able to land a clean shot. Most importantly, there may not be a more dominant topside grappler in the history of the light heavyweight division. Teixeira is heavy from the top and technically clean enough that it’s difficult to buck him. Prochazka was able to do so thanks to athleticism, years of experience, and fatigue beginning to get the best of Teixeira. Hill is a hell of an athlete, but experience is still something he’s short on. His inability to stop takedowns from Thiago Santos in Hill’s most recent contest offers hope to the savvy Teixeira being able to put him on his back.

However, in Hill’s favor is youth, speed, power, and range. Hill rapid ascension has been largely due to him being one of the most gifted athletes on the roster. A simple watch of his film would confirm that. The other part of it has been because he’s been mature enough to soak up what his coaches have been teaching him and learning from his mistakes. Remember him claiming his ground game was underrated going into his fight with Paul Craig? To Hill’s credit, he hasn’t even tried to screw around with the ground game since Craig taught him a lesson in humility. To Hill’s credit, he even seemed to develop a friendship with Craig afterwards. One of the best ways to learn to is take lessons from those who added an L to one’s ledger. Hill has been doing just that.

Those who have either beaten Teixeira or come close to beating him over the last several years have been some of the best athletes in the division at the time they clashed. Hill certainly qualifies in that sense. That isn’t to say he’s guaranteed to win. Teixeira may have come up short against Prochazka, but it’s obvious the wheels didn’t come off for him in that contest. That Hill is similar in his attack to Prochazka should be more encouraging for Teixeira’s chances as the defensive deficiencies should be something Teixeira will expose. That Hill has never gone five rounds either is another point in Teixeira’s favor. Despite all that, I can’t help but fear Teixeira’s on the verge of falling off. It isn’t like the Prochazka fight is the only fight he’s taken a lot of damage in. He took a beating at the hands of Anthony Smith prior to flipping that contest on its head. Thiago Santos knocked him down too. Teixeira has already defied the odds by accomplishing what he has. But how long can he? Given the vibrance and fearless nature of Hill, I think he’ll expose the age of Teixeira. Hill via TKO of RD3

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno, Flyweight

While I believe it’s time to move on from the rivalry once this fight is complete, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate what Figueiredo and Moreno have been able to provide for fight fans. While educated viewers have long had an appreciation for the quality of action provided by the flyweight division, the dominance of Demetrious Johnson prevented a true rivalry from taking hold. In the process, the division developed a level of stagnation that made the division difficult to market. The exciting back-and-forth provided by these two in each of their three contests injected an interest in the division that has been sorely missing. Thus, while I’m interested to see someone else in the title picture besides these two, a level of appreciation needs to be offered to them.

Following the second contest, it looked like Moreno had Figueiredo’s number. The Brazilian couldn’t keep up with the fast pace of Moreno. However, Figueiredo recognized where he was coming up short, rededicated himself to ensuring he would have the energy to go all 25 minutes. That started with a disciplined weight cut, something Figueiredo hasn’t always been able to do. Given how Figueiredo ballooned up following their most recent contest, there were rumors Figueiredo wouldn’t be able to make it down to 125. However, all reports that I’ve read indicate Figueiredo’s weight management was in a good spot for this contest as well. In other words, many were going to wait to see how Figueiredo looked coming into the contest. If he looked bad, it was likely to be Moreno all the way. That doesn’t appear to be the case.

The other issue with Figueiredo has been his willingness to take unnecessary risks. Sure, he’s been able to get away with it at various times in his career thanks to his prodigious talents. However, Figueiredo took a more meat and potatoes approach in the third contest. While there’s no doubt better conditioning contributed to Figueiredo securing three knockdowns in that fight, Figueiredo sticking to what he does best may have been more important.

What kept Moreno in that fight was his advantage in activity. One of the best conditioned athletes on the roster, Moreno has never shown any signs of fatigue, despite going five rounds several times over the course of his career. It isn’t due to him pacing himself either. Moreno has always fought in a hyperactive manner that ensured he would never be outpaced. Of course, when he was young, much of it was empty movement. As he’s matured, there has become more economical with that movement. Combine his maturity and activity with his exceptional instincts and Moreno has blossomed into elite fighter he is today.

One curious trend in their three fights has been Moreno moving away from his wrestling. Not that he’s ever really been an elite wrestler, but his doggedness and opportunism makes him a threat that can’t be ignored. Perhaps he didn’t attempt as many since Figueiredo was more aggressive in looking for takedowns, but it’s a curious stat to note. Whether he looks to re-emphasize that is hard to know. Forced to change camps after his coach James Krause entangled himself in the betting scandal currently hovering over the sport, Fortis MMA hasn’t exactly been a hub for wrestlers. Not that Sayif Saud and crew aren’t capable of doing good things with Moreno, but the chemistry between fighter and coach is key. Being forced to have that shaken up could be combustible.

There’s also the age factor. Moreno was an absolute babe when he first entered the UFC over six years ago. Just coming off his 29th birthday, Moreno appears to be in his physical prime. In the case of Figueiredo, he’s now 35. I understand all-time greats push the limits of Father Time – much like Teixeira is – and Figueiredo may be the most freakish athlete the flyweight division has seen. It’s fair to question if age has caught up to him. Plus, has Figueiredo perhaps gotten too comfortable? We didn’t see the best version of him until he was motivated to get the belt back.

As always, this is a difficult fight to predict, despite having seen them do the damn thing three other times. A thing or two goes differently in the last fight and Moreno could have been the winner. Thus, ultimately, I’m going with whoever has the greatest potential for slipping. Moreno walking into Brazil could be imposing enough to create slippage, but Moreno’s eternal optimism needs to be taken into account. For Figueiredo, his age and history of doing just enough to get by leads me to believe Moreno is more likely to win. Anyone throwing money around this fight will need to be exceptionally cautious, so I say that with minimal confidence. Moreno via decision

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UFC strawweight Virna Jandiroba shares stories about being a leftist fighter in a far-right dominated community.

Former Invicta strawweight champion and current UFC athlete Virna Jandiroba is in the minority. Coming from one of the poorest regions of Brazil (the Northeast), ‘Carcara’ has always been rather vocal about a subject where most MMA fighters disagree with her views: politics.

After her June 2021 TKO win over Kanako Murata, Virna went viral on the internet for bashing then president Jair Bolsonaro in her post-fight speech. In a few words, Jandiroba famously criticized the former leader and praised Brazil’s universal healthcare system (SUS), which was pivotal during Bolsonaro’s disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Praise SUS. Go away, Naro (short for Bolsonaro)”. Virna shouted to the cameras at UFC Vegas 29.

Following the news of former featherweight champion Jose Aldo hosting Bolsonaro in his Orlando home in the United States, as well as flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo’s support for the far-right riots in the country’s capital of Brazil, Jandiroba agreed to speak to Bloody Elbow to show the other, less seen side.

She will be the first guest of my “Not All Brazilians” series, where I will interview fighters who do not support Bolsonaro’s politics or far-right views, going against the majority in the Brazilian MMA community, with notable names such Mauricio Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Fabricio Werdum and many others, among its supporters.

Linked below is a video of a pro-Bolsonaro campaign named “Real fighters vote 22 (Bolsonaro’s number in the 2022 presidental elections). In it, all the names cited above are shown, as well as many more.

In fact, this majority was one of the first topics Jandiroba dived into during the conversation. A member of Bahia’s Fight House, Virna detailed how relationships between herself and right-wing fighters develop at the place where she spends most of her time. It may be no surprise that the best approach Carcara has found was to just avoid discussing politics at the gym.

“I have a pretty good relationship with the people at my gym. Most people there lean left. So there aren’t many political disagreements, at least with the people I’m close to. I do train with people who are also Bolsonaro supporters, though. We just don’t talk about it. That subject is untouchable. We prefer not to talk about political views. Everyone knows I’m left-wing. I talked about in the Octagon. So that subject is pretty clear and we don’t talk about it. We just prefer to focus on training,”

Virna may not discuss politics at the gym to avoid unnecessary stress at the place where she needs to be focused on the task at hand, but it does not mean she will not eagerly talk about it under different circumstances.

After being questioned about where her political stances come from, Jandiroba shared a brutally real story involving her grandfather, a former military officer during Brazil’s military dictatorship, who was persecuted for not supporting the vicious regime that became known for torturing, silencing and killing its opponents.

Although she never got to meet her grandfather, Jandiroba emphasized how the impact of his life affected her father and, by consequence, herself.

“Our surroundings influence us. I’ve been influenced by this. By the fact that I am from the Northeast region. Everyone in my nuclear family is left-wing. My father, my grandfather. My grandfather used to be a colonel during the military dictatorship in Brazil. He was against the (1964 military) coup, though. They put a prize on his head. He was wanted dead or alive. After the dictatorship (which lasted until 1985), this bounty was archived and he was no longer a wanted man. They didn’t have enough evidence to go after him. He was accused of treason and he really was working against the military, but they could never prove it.

“This was very detrimental in my life,” Virna said. “I didn’t get to meet my grandfather, but listen to what my father’s life was like. They were always hiding because of this (persecution). My father is a retired social sciences teacher. He was always a very quiet man and I didn’t understand why that was. After he told me the story of his life, I understood that he was forced to be like that. He was silenced by the dictatorship, My father has nightmares about that to this day. He dreams that military men are invading his house, He’s like a five-year-old boy. So I have all this background, you know?,”

Despite her life story, Jandiroba still tries not to judge other fighters who support far-right politics, though she considers those stances rather hypocritical. Since martial arts should be a freeing art form, Virna believes it goes against its very roots to support a government based on oppression. In order to explain the phenomenon, she notes the bond between martial arts and the military, which history shows have always been intertwined.

“Bolsonaro offends me and my people on several levels. It’s impossible for me to like him. I try not to criticize fighters individually, though. I believe it has a lot to do with being ignorant. I also think it flirts with the military concept. Martial arts were born from military tactics, so I think they flirt. However, I think it’s contradictory. I practice jiu-jitsu and in its roots, going all the way back to the samurais, they are the ones who serve. People have been distorting the meaning of it along the way. Now they think people can sort things out by using force.”

Furthermore, Jandiroba finds a different explanation on why so many mixed martial artist support Bolsonaro in a more obvious place: sexism. Mostly practised by men, in a country with deep problems in the way society perceives men and women (on average, women are paid 20,5% less than men), the sport has always attracted extremely conservative athletes. Especially when Bolsonaro himself has come forward to support the same opinions,

Nonetheless, Jandiroba is happy to look on the bright side this time, claiming that it may be a long road ahead, but things are starting to change for the better.

“There is also a lot of sexism. This is a sport dominated by men. It’s going to take a long time for us to overcome that, but it’s important that we take that first step. There are already some men who think differently. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. We’re such a diverse country. Martial arts should be for everybody. So how can you believe that it is for everybody and at the same time support someone who says that minorities should accept whatever the majority imposes (an infamous line proclaimed by Bolsonaro in one his speeches). It’s a bit contradictory, isn’t?”

“That’s what we should strive for, being inclusive,” Virna said. “We can’t be excluding people. It goes against the world, it goes against civilization. If we go down that way, it’s barbarism. We were on that path, and some of us have been pointing that out since the beginning. Lots of people regurgitated the homophobic, racist, sexists things he said. It was so anti-democratic, but people were not paying enough attention. The riots in Brasilia were just the last drop. And now Bolsonaro’s fallacies are out there for everyone to see. The Emperor has no clothes.”

In her last outing, Jandiroba (18-3) scored a unanimous decision win over Angela Hill, back in May 2022. However, the 34-year-old suffered a meniscus injury during the fight and has been sidelined ever since. With no bouts booked in the near future, the Brazilian hopes to still make a return in the first half of 2023.

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See what happens on the scales ahead of UFC 283!

The UFC’s first PPV of 2023 has arrived. And with it come two title fights.

Rio de Janeiro is our host city this time around, with the promotion heading south to Brazil for the first time since March 2020. That event was the UFC’s first event behind closed doors, happening just as the world was beginning to grasp the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brazilian fans will hope they don’t have to wait three years for the next card to visit their country. They’ll also be hoping a couple of heroes in Brazil will leave the Octagon with their hands raised.

The main event is Glover Teixeira taking on Jamahal Hill for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title. The co-main is Deiveson Figuiredo defending his UFC flyweight title against Brandon Moreno (a man he’s fought three times prior).

There is also Shogun Rua’s retirement fight on tap. He fights Ihor Poteria. Other fun match-ups on the card include Gilbert Burns vs. Neil Magny, Paul Craig vs. Johnny Walker and Gregory Rodrigues vs. Brunno Ferreira.

With two title fights on tap, that means four fighters will need to be very careful on the scales. If any of them are just an ounce over the limit they will lose their chance at being champion.

You can see how all that drama unfolds below. The live stream starts at 6:45 a.m ET.

Main card (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV):

• Light heavyweight championship: Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill
• Flyweight championship: Deiveson Figueiredo (c) vs. Brandon Moreno
• Welterweight: Gilbert Burns vs. Neil Magny
• Flyweight: Jessica Andrade vs, Lauren Murphy
• Light heavyweight: Paul Craig vs. Johnny Walker

Prelim card (8 p.m. ET on ESPn/ESPN+/ABC):

• Light heavyweight: Mauricio Rua vs. Ihor Poteria
• Middleweight: Gregory Rodrigues vs. Brunno Ferreira
• Lightweight: Thiago Moises vs. Melquizael Costa
• Welterweight: Gabriel Bonfim vs. Mounir Lazzez

Early Prelims (6 p.m. ET on ESPN+):

• Heavyweight: Jailton Almedia vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov
• Lightweight: Terrance McKinney vs. Ismael Bonfim
• Welterweight: Warlley Alves vs. Nicholas Dalby
• Featherweight: Josiane Nunes vs. Zarah Farim
• Bantamweight: Luan Larceda vs. Cody Stamnan
• Bantamweight: Daniel Marcos vs. Saimon Oliveira

About the author: Tim Bissell is a writer, editor and deputy site manager for Bloody Elbow. He has covered combat sports since 2015. Tim covers news and events and has also written longform and investigative pieces. (full bio)

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British boxing opens its account for 2023 with a well-matched domestic clash with worldwide ramifications.

British boxing opens its account for 2023 with a solid middleweight main event that promises a clash of both styles and famous boxing families. Chris Eubank Jr, of course, carrying the name of his famous father, whereas Liam Smith is one of four fighting brothers—all of whom have held British titles and at least challenged at a world level. This fight, while not for a title, should go a long way towards deciding which of the two gets to look towards major belts in future. At the very least, it’ll decide some bragging rights on the British scene. With some (frankly quite distasteful, at moments) heat in the buildup too, it should be a spicy one once both men step in the ring.

This card is available on DAZN in the US and other international territories, and on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK. It will start at 1pm ET (6pm GMT) with ring-walks for the main event expected at around 5:15pm ET (10:15pm GMT).

Preview

Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images

Chris Eubank Jr (32-2, 23 KOs) is a recognizable name to most boxing fans, having used his father’s reputation and an offbeat charisma of his own to grab the spotlight. It has been an odd run so far, though. A tendency to chase exposure rather than legacy means that, while he’s fought a number of names with world level experience, most of them (De Gale, Yildirim, Abraham) have been a long way past their best. The one time he did fight an opponent of definitely proven class at somewhere near his prime, George Groves gave him a schooling back in 2018.

One thing that should be noted, though, is that—having for a long time been known as un-coachable (and even openly coaching himself for a bit)—he’s more recently moved to the US to work with Roy Jones Jr. It seems to be working out too, judging by changes in his style. Whether that combination will work in the long run remains to be seen, but he is coming off a good—if scrappier in the end than it needed to be—win over Liam Williams last year.

Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images

Smith (32-3-1, 19 KOs) is less a star and less well known, but he’s been about for a while and has fought some very good opponents. That includes a fight at 154lbs with Canelo in 2016, in which he made the p4p great work for his win, before a mid-rounds KO. Since then he’s also had hard-fought losses to Jaime Munguia (much bigger than him) and Magomed Kurbanov (which he felt, along with many observers, should have gone to him). That last one in particular stung, as he seems to believe it have been his ticket back to world level fights. After a streak of three solid, though lower-level, he’s hoping to make that step again this year if he can get the high-profile victory here.

Smith is also making a jump in weight. He’s fought most of his career at 154lbs, but is stepping up to 160lbs for Eubank. That could work against him, especially since Eubank has fought up at even higher weights in the past and is comfortably the bigger man, but we’ve seen aging fighters find a fresh spring in their step by making moves up before, so he’ll be hoping for that.

At 33 and 34, respectively, they’re coming to the time of their careers where it’s really one last push for that top level, so it’s an interesting crossroads fight and a meaningful one both for their respective careers and the immediate future of middleweight as a whole. It should be a good bout.

Prediction

On a technical level this is a real clash of styles. That’s true whichever version of Eubank turns up, which is an open question—since the outboxing style Roy Jones Jr. has been coaching him into differs greatly from the high-volume aggression he’d previously shown us. Whichever gear he chooses to engage, he’s a pretty unorthodox fighter. Whereas Smith comes with a dependable, rounded, meat-and-potatoes style with which he’ll be seeking to punish any mistakes Eubank may make.

That description might sound disparaging, but it’s really not. Smith doesn’t do anything flash or unusual, but he does the basics very well. Eubank will have to work hard to find gaps in the armor. The reverse won’t necessarily be true. Smith has made a career of keeping things composed and tidy until opponents show a flaw he can attack, and for all his skills Eubank has technical holes aplenty.

Which ones Smith will be taking advantage of will depend on Eubank’s approach, though. Throughout his career, he’s typically been a high-volume pressure fighter, assaulting his foes with hooks and uppercuts by the dozen. Under the tutelage of RJJ he’s become more of an outfighter, seeking to keep opponents at bay with a jab and stepping in and out to deliver single punches or short combinations. Or, at other times, attempting to draw his opponent onto loaded-up counters.

Photo by Huw Fairclough/Getty Images

The latter is probably the more likely, especially given we saw him fight Liam Williams—a fighter with some similar tendencies to Smith—that way last year. A fight Eubank dominated early en route to a win. There is a risk in that game, though. While he knocked Williams down several times early, as the fight went on the bout started to lean towards Williams. And Smith is a step up in competition there.

The biggest problem for Eubank as an outboxer is that he simply doesn’t extend his punches well. He’s had elbow injuries in the past. Whether or not his mechanics problems are a direct result, he’s never been convincing as a rangy puncher. This means that even his jab is often not as long as it might be, and he has to get in and out of hooking distance rather than throwing sharp straights. He is, in other words, trying to play a distance-based game with a set of tools built up over years to be used close in—something he does quite well. He also simply isn’t the best mover in the world, probably because he only started learning this outfighting style in his 30s.

When fighting Williams, he needed to hurt him often to keep him at bay. That happened early on but, once Williams warmed up, Eubank didn’t really have the capacity to keep him on the outside for any length of time. If he comes with the same mindset against Smith, the latter’s superior defensive skills, better readiness to feint his way in and set shots up, and slightly better power could see Eubank punished in a way Williams couldn’t manage. Even if he does choose—or gets forced into—a close-in fight, Smith has a history of catch-and-countering opponents throwing wide punches at him, as he did against Anthony Fowler.

Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images

All that doesn’t mean Eubank doesn’t have a shot here. For all his tidy solidity, Smith can display an inability to adjust. In particular, his high guard is nice and tight, but it’s not reactive. That’s the kind of thing he might find gets him into trouble against the unusual shot selection of Eubanks. If Eubanks can find a home for his hooks and uppercuts, Smith may find it hard to adjust without breaking his defense entirely.

There is also a fairly big speed advantage for Eubank, which should mitigate some of the distance issues and mean Eubank has a chance of beating Smith to the punch in even exchanges on the inside. Add in that he’s also quite a lot bigger, fighting most of his career at this weight or higher, and those could all be serious factors as the fight goes on and the wear-and-tear on the new-to-160 Smith begins to add up.

There is one more thing to factor in, though, and that’s experience. Although their records are similar on paper, and Eubank’s name far more recognizable, Smith has spent more time at or near the very top of his division. As mentioned above, more of Smith’s fights have been against world-level opponents in their prime, and he’s been more competitive in them when he’s been there. So we could just see a bit more of a class difference in his favor than would otherwise be expected.

I’d say that the mix of ingredients for the fight do somewhat point towards Smith, then, but it should be an entertaining affair. Overally, I’d say it’s by no means a foregone conclusion, and a good competitive booking.

What’s on the Undercard?

The biggest attraction of the undercard by far is a welterweight clash, for the British and Commonwealth belts, between Ekow Essuman and Chris Kongo. Essuman is (usually) a relentless, hard punching machine—nicknamed ‘The Engine’ for a reason—and Kongo is entirely unafraid to throw down. Both men are in their 30s and looking to progress up to world level in a hurry, so there’s a lot on the line. It should be a heck of a scrap.

Richard Riakporhe faces Krzysztof Glowacki in the cruiserweight division, a fight seemingly designed to test Riakporhe’s readiness for world level. That could be fun, though he’s turned out snoozers before. Beyond that, there’s not a lot on the card. Jack Massey, having never fought above British level or similar at cruiserweight, will be making a step up to heavyweight against (for some reason?) Joseph Parker. Frazer Clarke, a heavyweight Olympian, continues his laughable introduction into the pro ranks with another over-matched opponent. Neither is likely to be competitive.

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Get the lowdown on the main card non-title fights of UFC 283, featuring recent title challenger Gilbert Burns looking to secure a win against the UFC’s all-time leader in welterweight wins, Neil Magny.

Given there is typically some difficulty in getting fighters to jump onto traveling overseas, PPV cards outside of North America typically have at least one fight on the main card that has no business being on a PPV main card. Perhaps it has something to do with the UFC not having been to Brazil in a while, that isn’t the case this time around for UFC 283.

None of the main card fights is filler, with each of the contests qualifying as a fight that could realistically headline a Fight Night card. That doesn’t mean they’d be top flight Fight Night headliners, but that’s not what is required to be a reasonable PPV main card contest. Regardless, the quality of the contests in combination with the two title fights makes it worth the price of admission, even with the price hike – yet again – for UFC PPV’s.

For the early prelims preview, click here. For the televised prelims, click here.

Gilbert Burns vs. Neil Magny, Welterweight

There may not be a more underappreciated member of the UFC roster than Magny. The UFC’s all-time leader in wins in the welterweight division, fans tend to react with a groan more often than not when they see his name on a card. Much of that is due to his having picked up a reputation as a boring fighter, though I would say it’s undeserved. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Magny is an action fighter, but a lack of finishes doesn’t mean boring either. Regardless, Magny has been vacillating in the top ten of the welterweight rankings for the last five or six years. That alone is deserving of a level of respect fans seem reluctant to give him.

Burns may have taken a bit longer to break into the top ten, but unlike Magny, he’s broken into the top five. However, there’s a case to be made that Burns has received favorable matchups to get to his current spot. Sure, Burns was competitive with Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev. However, they ultimately were losses and his wins to secure him his title shot with Usman were a 42-year-old Demian Maia and a washed Tyron Woodley. Plus, his most recent win, Stephen Thompson, is another fighter who appears to be on the wrong side of their prime too. Burns did what he’s supposed to do in beating those men, but in hindsight, none of them appear to be as good as we thought they were when they fought Burns.

That said, while I don’t think this fight is the automatic win for Burns that many see it as, there’s no doubt Burns is the rightful favorite. While Magny has proven himself to be a respectable grappler, he has a very hard ceiling against the better grapplers of the division. That was established several years ago when Maia and Rafael dos Anjos did whatever they wanted to him on the mat. Magny does appear to have improved some since those losses, but his loss to Michael Chiesa indicates it’s still an issue. It’s no secret Burns is one of the best pure BJJ practitioners on the roster. As Burns has gotten deeper into his UFC career, he’s become even more effective at blending the MMA elements into his ground game, adding a degree of physicality that allowed him to live up to the high expectations he had placed on him when he came into the organization.

There’s a few things to look out for if Magny is going to have a shot. First, Burns has been through some battles that could be career changing. Those losses to Usman and Chimaev saw him absorb a lot of heavy artillery on his chin. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him badly faded after those fights. That Burns spent several years making a tough cut down to 155 is another factor that could contribute to him being faded. Plus, Magny’s fight IQ is highly underrated. He understands his strengths and weaknesses and fights accordingly… if he can. If Burns has slowed at all, Magny’s freakish reach will cause problems and he knows how to smother opponents against the cage if they close the distance. The route to victory is there for Magny.

While there is a route to victory, Burns is likely to put a huge roadblock in front of that route. Not only is Burns the better ground fighter, he’s the better boxer in the pocket. Plus, he’s the more powerful puncher too. Did I mention he’s a better pure athlete as well? Kudos to Magny for not only asking for the Burns fight, but taking it in the hostile environment that is Brazil. Unfortunately, this is a bad matchup for him. Magny is resourceful and durable, but that should only be enough to get him to the final bell as opposed to a victory this time around. Burns via decision

Jessica Andrade vs. Lauren Murphy, Women’s Flyweight

Andrade’s MMA journey is one of the most interesting in the history of the UFC. Beginning her UFC career as a bantamweight, she was a dangerous but limited fighter at that weight class given her short stature. It wasn’t long after the strawweight division opened up that she dropped down to 115, bullying her way to the title. However, she came up short in her first defense and ended up suffering losses to each of the fighters who have circled the title picture of that division. Feeling the road to the title was blocked in that division, she opted to go to flyweight where she earned another title shot. After coming up short there, she has decided to moonlight at both flyweight and strawweight, taking fights that seem interesting to her. Murphy is most certainly an interesting fight for Andrade.

Even though Andrade is on the small side at flyweight, she remains a physical force. Despite several losses over her career, she maintains the confidence and aggression typically reserved for an undefeated youngster who believes themselves invincible. Plus, Andrade’s strength carried over well even when she was fighting at bantamweight. She may be at her strongest at flyweight given she isn’t dehydrating herself too much. Of course, she’s also fighting against stronger women at flyweight, something Valentina Shevchenko proved was going to be an issue for her in certain matchups.

The question is whether Murphy is one of those matchups. Murphy is as scrappy and durable as they come. She doesn’t hit the hardest. She isn’t a wiz in terms of her grappling. Hell, she isn’t a technical marvel either by any means. Murphy is constantly in her opponent’s face, working on them with her workmanlike wrestling and boxing combinations. What tends to happen is her opponents become so frustrated with her constant work rate that they either have a hard time keeping up or tend to fold. Of course, staying in the face of opponents is Andrade’s game too….

When Andrade loses, it’s due to her opposition using exceptional technique. Joanna Jedrzejczek utilized spacing, angles, and a stiff jab to keep Andrade at bay. Rose Namajunas did something similar. The reigning flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, scored takedowns at will with precision. That isn’t Murphy’s style. Murphy is strong for the division, but not strong enough to make up for the technical deficiencies she has, at least not against Andrade. Perhaps she can get lucky and clip Andrade as the Brazilian’s chin has been cracked. However, even that is unlikely as Murphy tends to wear down her opposition little by little rather than getting the job done with a single crack. Murphy’s grit will either allow her to last deep into the fight or to the final bell, but she isn’t best Andrade at her own game, especially at the age of 39. Andrade via decision

Paul Craig vs. Johnny Walker, Light Heavyweight

Fortunately for fight fans, Craig has reneged on the idea of retiring at the age of 35. Given few expected the Scot to claw his way into the top ten of the light heavyweight division when he was first signed, it appears he’s becoming a victim of his own success in terms of his original timeline for walking away from the sport. He’s still a longshot to fight for gold someday, but it is worth noting he has a win over one of the men who will be fighting for the gold at the top of this card. It’s not like it was back in the regional days. Craig beat Jamahal Hill just 19 months ago….

Even though he’s one of the worst pure athletes in the division, Craig is also one of the most dangerous finishers in the division. There may not be a more dangerous fighter off their back on the entire UFC roster than Craig. He can throw up a triangle choke at the blink of an eye, having secured five of them that directly led to a victory since joining the UFC. I say led directly to victory since it wasn’t technically a triangle choke that ended Hill’s night; it was the dislocated elbow. Some of the better submission artists who have graced the Octagon have never nabbed a triangle choke win. Craig has five. While that is certainly his signature move, he’s not a one trick pony either. Craig’s long limbs are ideal for entangling his opponents if he can get their back as well.

That said, the road to victory over Craig is easy enough: keep the fight standing. Despite Craig spamming takedown attempts, Volkan Oezdemir was successful on keeping the fight standing, snapping Craig’s six-fight unbeaten streak. There’s no doubt Walker can do that. He can not only match Craig’s 76” reach, he exceeds it by a good six inches. Plus, Walker is one of the best athletes on the roster. He should be able to avoid Craig’s mad dashes to get the fight to the ground as opposed to fighting them off. The question is whether Walker will have the fight IQ to do that.

Walker has several incredible highlight reel KO’s on his ledger, which is what he’s primarily known for. However, he’s also known for being the guy who separated his shoulder celebrating one of those victories. There’s signs Walker is maturing as he opted to entangle Ion Cutelaba on the mat rather than risking the wild man landing a powerful overhand on Walker’s fragile chin. Of course, it also opens up the concern Walker might get it in his head he can hang on the mat with Craig….

Walker should win this. Stylistically, this fight favors him as he is quicker and faster than Craig by leaps and bounds. Plus, while Craig is tougher than a two-dollar steak, he’s not so durable that his chin can’t be cracked, particularly by Walker. But Walker’s bonehead instincts and Craig’s craftiness in combination is something that can’t be ignored. Even further in Craig’s favor is Walker’s habit of fading down the stretch; all his wins in the UFC have come inside the first round. I’m ultimately picking Walker, but I wouldn’t throw money down on this fight if I were a betting man. Walker via KO of RD1

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