UFC 283 Prelims & Early Prelims Predictions, Odds & Picks

The UFC takes over Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 283 this Saturday. A lot of eyes will be on the main event as Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill duke it out for the vacant light heavyweight championship. Having said that, the preliminary and early prelims cards also offer several matchups that die-hard MMA fans and bettors won’t want to miss.

The first main event title fight of 2023 is official after Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill made weight for their #UFC283 vacant title bout.

Full story: https://t.co/Iq3cEQL99f pic.twitter.com/VE1LQXvHOm

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 20, 2023

Fortunately, Betting News has gathered the latest odds for all of UFC 283’s preliminary and early prelims fights, along with our prediction for each matchup.

UFC 283 Preliminary Card and Odds (Odds as of Friday, January 20)

The UFC 283 odds listed below are via BetOnline Sportsbook.

Light Heavyweight: Mauricio Rua (+176) vs. Ihor Potieria (-230)

Fans will be treated to some light heavyweight action when Mauricio Rua (27-13-1) goes one-on-one with Ihor Potieria (18-3).

Rua has already announced that this fight will be the last one and he hopes to go out on top. Unfortunately, winning hasn’t been easy for the 41-year-old, losing back-to-back outings against Paul Craig and Ovince Saint Preux by TKO and split decision, respectively.

Meanwhile, Potieria looks to rebound following a TKO loss to Nicolae Negumereanu at UFC 277. Before that loss, Potieria had rattled off 15 consecutive wins, leaving time to tell if he can bounce back.

Finishing off his opponents in 14 of his 18 career victories, I like Potieria in this fight. Considering how Rua was knocked out not too long ago and he isn’t getting any younger, I’ll take Potieria winning by KO/TKO.

Best Bet: Ihor Potieria by KO/TKO (+125)

Middleweight: Gregory Rodrigues (-340) vs. Brunno Ferreira (+250)

Gregory Rodrigues (13-4) has been turning things around lately. He’s won six of his last seven fights, which includes going 4-1 in his return to the UFC. What’s even more impressive is that he’s knocked out three of his last four opponents, most recently defeating Chidi Njokuani by second-round TKO in September.

Meanwhile, Brunno Ferreira (9-0) hopes to impress in his UFC PPV debut. He’s knocked out each of the last four foes he’s been in the octagon with, however, it’s fair to say that none of them compare to Rodrigues.

At the end of the day, Rodrigues is the more experienced fighter and should get the job done. Ferreira still has to prove himself before becoming a trusted betting option.

Best Bet: Gregory Rodrigues by KO/TKO (+110)

Lightweight: Thiago Moises (-340) vs. Melquizael Costa (+250)

Thiago Moises (16-6) has had plenty of ups and downs over the years. After losing back-to-back fights to Islam Makhachev and Joel Alvarez, things seem to be improving for the Brazilian combatant. His submission win over Christos Giagos earned ‘performance of the night’ honors back in June, making it interesting to see if he continues the momentum at UFC 283.

This fight will also be Melquizael Costa’s (19-5) UFC debut. He’s an MMA veteran who’s showcased the ability to finish off his opponents, picking up 13 of his 19 career victories by either knockout or submission.

This is going to be a long fight between two men who can hold their ground both on the feet and the mat. Still, I think that Moises’ UFC experience will pay off in the end as the fight heads to the judges’ table.

Best Bet: Thiago Moises by Points (+180)

Welterweight: Mounir Lazzez (+142) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (-184)

Mounir Lazzez (11-2) made a name for himself early in his career by knocking out his opponents. Unfortunately, he hasn’t picked up a KO/TKO win in the UFC just yet. While he’s 2-1 in the promotion, both of those victories came by unanimous decision.

Gabriel Bonfim (13-0) is another fighter making his UFC PPV this weekend. The 25-year-old Brazilian has yet to lose in his young career, finishing off every opponent that he’s faced.

While Lazzez has experience on his side, Bonfim is too good to ignore. Only two of his previous 13 fights have made it beyond the second round, so I could see him finishing off Lazzez to make some noise.

Best Bet: Gabriel Bonfim by KO/TKO (+420)

UFC 283 Early Prelims Card

Heavyweight: Shamil Abdurakhimov (+600) vs. Jailton Almeida (-1100)

Despite a strong start to his UFC career, Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-7) has struggled lately, losing three straight fights — all by TKO. Meanwhile, Jailton Almeida (17-2) enters UFC 283 on a 12-fight winning streak, finishing each one of those opponents.

With Abdurakhimov being susceptible to being knocked out, I doubt he’ll last long against Almeida, who has four KO/TKO victories over his hot streak.

Best Bet: Jailton Almeida by KO/TKO (+200)

Lightweight: Terrance McKinney (-125) vs. Ismael Bonfim (-102)

Terrance McKinney (13-4) has been on one of the better runs of his career lately, going 6-1 in his last seven fights with four knockout victories. He’ll have his hands full with Ismael Bonfim (18-3), who hasn’t lost in the octagon since July 2014.

This is truly a fight that can go either way. Both men have displayed impressive finishing ability throughout their respective careers, but I’m siding with Bonfim. He’s been racking up the wins for a reason and with the Brazilian crowd cheering him on, he’ll make his home country proud.

Best Bet: Ismael Bonfim Outright (-102)

Welterweight: Warlley Alves (-130) vs. Nicolas Dalby (+102)

Warlley Alves (14-5) has been caught in a rut ahead of UFC 283, losing five of his last nine fights while also getting knocked out by Jeremiah Wells in his last outing. On the flip side, Nicolas Dalby (20-4-1, 2NC) has gone 6-1 (with two no-contests) in his last nine outings.

This should be another close-fought contest, but I’m going with Dalby as the victor. Alves is just too hard to trust after losing by knockout or submission three times in his last five fights. Back Dalby to keep building momentum.

Best Bet: Nicolas Dalby Outright (+102)

Women's Featherweight: Josiane Nunes (-590) vs. Zarah Fairn (+390)

UFC 283 also features women’s featherweight action as Josiane Nunes (9-1) looks to handle Zara Fairn (6-4). Nunes has won each of her last eight fights and is currently 2-0 in the UFC, whereas Fairn has suffered back-to-back first-round losses to Megan Anderson (by submission) and Felicia Spencer (by TKO).

It’s hard to go against Nunes, especially with the skid that Fairn is on. Back “Josi” to leave Jeunesse Arena with a KO/TKO victory.

Best Bet: Josiane Nunes by KO/TKO (-120)

Bantamweight: Luan Lacerda (+300) vs. Cody Stamann (-430)

Luan Lacerda (12-1) is set to make his UFC debut after winning 10 straight fights on the Brazilian MMA scene. Standing in his way is Cody Stamann (20-5-1), a UFC veteran who snapped a three-fight losing streak with a TKO victory over Eddie Wineland at UFC Austin.

Although Lacerda has impressed in Brazil, he’ll face his toughest challenge this weekend. Stamann might have struggled for a little bit, but his latest win has him back on the right track.

Best Bet: Cody Stamann by Points (-140)

Bantamweight: Saimon Oliveira (-156) vs. Daniel Marcos (+122)

Lastly, Saimon Oliveira (18-4) will take on Daniel Marcos (13-0) in bantamweight action. Oliveira had his five-fight winning streak snapped by a unanimous decision loss to Tony Gravely at UFC 270. Meanwhile, Marcos is undefeated in his MMA career and hopes to pick up a win in his UFC PPV debut.

I see Marcos taking advantage of Oliveira’s recent loss in what should be a fairly even match. Marcos’ striking ability will help him out as the fight goes on, eventually earning him enough points from the judges to pick up the victory.

Best Bet: Daniel Marcos Outright (+122)

When is UFC 283?

UFC 283 will take place on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023.

Where is UFC 283?

UFC 283 will take place at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

What time does UFC 283 start?

• UFC 283 Early Prelims Start Time: 6 p.m. ET
• UFC 283 Prelims Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Start Time of UFC 283’s Main Card: 10 p.m. ET

How can I watch UFC 283?

The early prelims will be available on UFC Fight Pass, while the prelims will be available on both ABC, ESPN and ESPN+, and the main card will be available via pay-per-view (which can be ordered through the ESPN+ app).

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