Hill wins UFC light heavyweight title in beatdown; Teixeira retires
As Jamahal Hill broke through as UFC champion, Glover Teixeira called it a career.
Hill defeated Teixeira via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) to capture the vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 283 main event Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.
Afterward, the 43-year-old Teixeira announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
"I'm too tough for my own good," Teixeira said in his postfight interview through an interpreter. "Too tough for my own health. I can't keep up anymore. ... It's an honor to put the gloves down on the same night as (Mauricio) 'Shogun' (Rua)."
Hill, 31, became the first fighter from Dana White's Contender Series to claim UFC gold. He earned a UFC contract after a TKO win on the show in July 2019.
"Sweet Dreams" essentially dominated Teixeira from start to finish. Teixeira, as expected, tried to get Hill to the mat seconds into the fight. Teixeira was one of the most talented grapplers in the 205-pound division. But Hill's takedown defense held up surprisingly well, as he shrugged off all of Teixeira's attempts in that frame and 15 of 17 overall. Hill had struggled with his ground defense in the past, giving up six takedowns in his last bout against Thiago Santos.
On the feet, the new champion used his precise, powerful striking to heavily outpoint Teixeira. He opened up two cuts on Teixeira's face and badly rocked the Brazilian legend multiple times. Hill particularly hurt Teixeira with head kicks and kept him at bay with long punches for extended periods of the fight.
Referee Marc Goddard appeared close to waving off the fight toward the end of the fourth as Hill swarmed Teixeira with a barrage of punches. But Teixeira managed to survive.
Despite absorbing massive punishment in Rounds 3 and 4, Teixeira scored a takedown early into the fifth round and even made it to full mount. But Hill reversed the position and got on top of a drained Teixeira. After a few moments, they returned to their feet, and Hill played it safe until the final horn sounded.
The fight between Hill and Teixeira came together just last month, in bizarre and unprecedented fashion. Jiri Prochazka relinquished the 205-pound title in November due to a severe shoulder injury that will keep him sidelined for several months. Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought for the vacant belt Dec. 10, but the fight ended in a split draw. On the same night of that fight, UFC president Dana White announced Teixeira and Hill would meet for the vacant title in Brazil.
Hill is riding a four-fight winning streak as he now looks to defend the belt. He was coming off a fourth-round TKO win over Santos, a former title challenger, last August. Hill is 6-1 (1 NC) in the promotion, with his lone loss coming against Paul Craig in June 2021.
Teixeira walks away from MMA following back-to-back defeats. He dropped the belt to Prochazka last June, losing by fifth-round submission in a fight he was winning. It is widely considered one of the greatest title bouts of all time. Teixeira submitted Jan Blachowicz in October 2021 to become the second-oldest champion in UFC history.
Teixeira exits with a 33-9 career record and a 16-7 mark in the UFC. He holds notable wins over the likes of Santos, Rashad Evans, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Anthony Smith. Teixeira had been a professional fighter since 2002.