After failing to become the UFC interim featherweight champion in February, veteran Joshua Emmett will seek to reclaim his winning form when he clashes against unbeaten Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC on ABC 5. The headliner between the top ten featherweights is certain to be a classic at 145 Ibs. UFC on ABC 5 holds this Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
MMA: UFC Featherweight
Location: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida
Where to watch: ESPN/ESPN+
Date: 25.06.2023. 00.40
Josh Emmett
Josh finally met Chef Josh Emmett when he traveled Down Under for UFC 284. Unfortunately, against Yair Rodríguez, he could not cook up a storm and was stopped by second-round submission. Prior to that loss, the Team Alpha Male fighter was on a five-match winning streak that included decisions over Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige. The 38-year-old who debuted in the UFC in 2016 has revealed that he has no plans of quitting the game soon. With raw power in his hands, the number five ranked featherweight insists he wants another shot at featherweight gold.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 38
- Height: 5’ 6”
- Reach: 70”
- Record: 18-3
I made a mistake when he threw up that triangle in the first round, I addressed it and passed it by, and he did it again in the second round, and I wasn’t threatened by it, so I kept doing what I was doing, the end of the round was near, and then he adjusted and it was too late.
Ilia Topuria
Described as a top up-and-coming talent, Georgian-Spanish fighter Topuria will put his 13-0 undefeated record on the line when he gets into the cage against Emmett in arguably the biggest fight of his UFC career. The first Georgian to become a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Ilia Topuria is a well-rounded fighter with an effective combination of powerful boxing and decent wrestling skills. Drafted as a late-notice replacement, “El Matador” secured a decision against Youssef Zalal in his UFC debut in October 2020. The now 26-year-old followed that up with four stoppages - three knockouts and one submission to climb into the top ten of the featherweight rankings. In preparation for his shot at the upper echelons of the division, the Gerogian who has also competed at Lightweight has moved camp to America ahead of this fight. He picked up a Performance of the Night bonus with his second-round submission of Bryce Mitchell last December.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’ 8”
- Reach: 69”
- Record: 13-0
If you really want to improve in this life. And you feel that you’re in your comfort zone. You have to push yourself to come out if you really want to improve and get better. This is what I did….I showed that no one can match my level of skill inside the cage. That I’m the best. I proved it with Bryce and I’m gonna prove it again once again on Saturday night.
Betting Odds
Josh Emmett is a huge underdog in the matchup with a bet for him to win priced at 4.00 odds on Bet 365. The favorite comes at 1.25. The fight to go the distance is 6 odds on Coinplay. Betting on the fight to be won by points in rounds 4-5 is priced at 3.5 odds, also on Coinplay. Ilia Topuria to win by KO/TKO is available at 2.75 on 1XBET with Josh Emmett by decision at a 9 odds, also on 1XBET.
