Dana White Announces Glover Teixeira-Jamahal Hill for Vacant LHW Title at UFC 283

BREAKING NEWS @GloverTeixeira to take on @JamahalH for the vacant LHW title at #UFC283! pic.twitter.com/JQOpACa6u4

— UFC (@ufc) December 11, 2022

It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship is making a quick pivot following the unsatisfying conclusion to Saturday’s light heavyweight main event.

After Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz battled to a majority draw at UFC 282 in their 205-pound title bout, Dana White revealed at the post-fight press conference that neither fighter will factor into the next championship fight. Instead, the UFC president announced that Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill will vie for the vacant light heavyweight strap at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro on Jan. 21.

Teixeira was initially slated to face Jiri Prochazka in a championship rematch at UFC 282, but that fight was scrapped when Prochazka vacated the belt after suffering a serious shoulder injury in training. When Teixeira asked for more time to prepare for a potential matchup against Ankalaev, the promotion moved on to a title clash between Ankalaev and Blachowicz. The 43-year-old Brazilian has authored a late-career resurgence in which he has won six of his last seven promotional outings — with his lone defeat during that stretch coming in a late submission loss to Prochazka at UFC 275.

A former competitor on Dana White’s Contender Series, Hill has lost just once in seven UFC appearances. The 31-year-old known as “Sweet Dreams” is in the midst of a three-bout winning streak in which he has finished Thiago Santos, Johnny Walker and Jimmy Crute by knockout or technical knockout.

UFC 283 takes place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro and also includes a fourth flyweight title fight between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno.