3 storylines to watch at UFC 283

The first UFC pay-per-view event of 2023 - and Glover Teixeira's chance for redemption - is upon us.

Teixeira will attempt to become a two-time light heavyweight champion in Saturday's UFC 283 main event in his native Brazil as he faces Jamahal Hill for the vacant title.

Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and interim titleholder Brandon Moreno will meet for a record fourth time in the co-main event, hoping to settle their differences once and for all.

Here are three key storylines heading into the event:

Just the start of a wacky year at 205?

One of the biggest feel-good stories of 2021 could flip to its second chapter this weekend. Teixeira defeated Jan Blachowicz to become the second-oldest champion in UFC history at 42 and then dropped the belt to Jiri Prochazka in one of the greatest fights of all time last June. Now, he's going for gold again.

It speaks volumes about Teixeira's will and determination that he not only earned a shot at the title (and won it) almost two decades into his career, but he managed to still be in the title picture 15 months later. Very few fighters ever reach the throne again after losing the title, and Teixeira - against all odds - has a chance to add his name to that list.

While Teixeira becoming a two-time champ would be a cool moment in the sport, that would likely only be the start of the wackiness at light heavyweight in 2023. The division has been in shambles since Prochazka vacated the title in November due to a severe shoulder injury that'll likely keep him on the sidelines until 2024. Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev met for the vacant belt in December, but the title remained vacant after their fight controversially resulted in a split draw.

Minutes after UFC president Dana White called Blachowicz-Ankalaev a "terrible" fight, he announced the promotion was going in a completely different direction at 205 pounds with Teixeira-Hill. In the span of a few weeks, five different fighters were somehow scheduled to participate in light heavyweight title fights. At this rate, even if it's smooth sailing in the Teixeira-Hill fight, any number of things can happen at the top of the division before the year's up, including Ankalaev getting the belt he arguably deserves or perhaps a Prochazka surprise return.

Is Figueiredo bantamweight bound?

There's been a lot of talk in recent years about Figueiredo moving to 135 pounds. Depending on how Saturday plays out for him, that could happen next.

Figueiredo is a big flyweight who has had issues making weight in the past. Remember the Joseph Benavidez debacle? Just like Henry Cejudo, it seems likely Figueiredo will retire as a bantamweight - it's just a matter of figuring out the right timing to move up.

If the Brazilian champion loses the belt to Moreno, there would be no reason for him to stick around at 125 pounds any longer. That would be his second loss to Moreno, and with contenders like Alexandre Pantoja and Manel Kape eyeing title shots in the near future, Figueiredo might not get another championship opportunity for a while.

Of course, Figueiredo is friends with Cejudo and has trained with him in the past. Cejudo, the former flyweight and bantamweight champion eyeing a return from retirement in 2023, may be gunning for the bantamweight belt against Aljamain Sterling in the coming months. Figueiredo has already said he won't fight Cejudo. So that could be one roadblock for Figueiredo at 135 pounds.

And then, if Figueiredo beats Moreno, you'd have to think he'll test his luck at flyweight a bit longer and enjoy the belt while he can. Maybe he'll leave flyweight as champion like Cejudo did, but chances are he'd want to defend at least one more time against someone other than Moreno. So, there's a good chance this one fight will have a big impact on Figueiredo's future.

End of an era

Seemingly more contenders and legends retired in 2022 than usual, and another will hang up his gloves less than a month into 2023: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion is scheduled to make his final walk to the Octagon in the featured preliminary bout against Ukrainian prospect Ihor Potieria. And Rua has said he won't go back on his retirement decision like so many others do.

Rua walking away from MMA marks the end of an era. Along with Jon Jones (and Lyoto Machida, if Bellator counts), the Brazilian is one of the last fighters from the golden age of the UFC light heavyweight division still around. He's also the final fighter on the UFC roster to have fought for PRIDE FC in Japan, according to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn. Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz have PRIDE FC experience but in the United States.

Rua's PRIDE FC run from 2003-07 is legendary. He went 12-1, with wins over Alistair Overeem (twice), Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Kevin Randleman.

Of course, Rua hasn't been in his prime for years. He hasn't been a title contender in almost a decade. The 41-year-old arguably stuck around too long, but there's no denying he's still enjoyed some success in the final chapter of his career, beating the likes of Nogueira (for a third time) and Tyson Pedro. As Rua rides off into the sunset on Saturday, the UFC officially turns a page at 205 pounds.