In the featherweight division of the main event, Josh Emmett is going to face Ilia Topuria, this Saturday at UFC on ABC 5 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Emmett is hoping to avenge his February championship loss to Yair Rodriguez at UFC 284. Emmett prevailed in five consecutive bouts to earn his championship opportunity against Rodriguez.
On the other hand, Topuria splashed all over the UFC scene in late October 2020. In his UFC debut Topuria easily took down Youssef Zalal with a unanimous decision victory. Ilia recently defeated Bryce Mitchell in UFC 282 with a submission lock which made his winning streak 5-0.
The Spanish-trained Georgian is a very fluid athlete and a balanced MMA fighter. He also displays a rare sort of killer instinct seen in fighters such as Charles Oliveira; Topuria’s goal is to beat up his opponents and submit them, not to win minutes. Whereas, Josh Emmett, a powerful wrestler with the most knockdowns (11) in featherweight history, is in a fascinating test as he attempts to get into the top five of the category.
UFC Fight Night: Ilia Topuria vs Josh Emmett, Stats
Stats | Ilia Topuria | Josh Emmett |
---|---|---|
Wins | 13 | 18 |
Losses | 0 | 3 |
Height | 5 ft 7 in | 5 ft 6 in |
Division | Featherweight | Featherweight |
Reach | 69 in | 70 in |
Age | 26 | 38 |
Emmett has a remarkable striking rate of 4.17 to 3.32 per minute compared to Topuria. Topuria boasts a 2.45-to-1.07 takedown-average edge on the ground, and he has a 46.15% takedown efficiency compared to Emmett’s 37.93%. Furthermore, the overwhelming favorite has a 2.45 submission average, while Emmett has a modest 0.10. (Via: Sports Book Wire)
According to Action Network, considering the 12-year age difference and Topuria’s edge in speed, the finishing potential on the feet appears to be equal. When there is a 10-year age difference between UFC opponents, the younger competitor has won 70.7% of the matches at odds of roughly 12% more than projected.
Furthermore, Topuria has all the possible explosive grappling possibilities, both in regards to finishing and achieving a strong 10-8 round with plenty of control time. Only time will tell which featherweight fighter will show up in glory and get a shot at the title fight.
Ilia Topuria vs Josh Emmett: Prediction
Both athletes belong to the strongest hitters at featherweight and have chins that have survived 33 of 34 combined fights while blocking only 62% of incoming blows at the UFC level. Topuria specializes in mixed boxing, which includes body strikes. Emmett usually operates from afar, bouncing into range to drop large explosives. Emmett’s proclivity to block with a high guard may render him vulnerable to body punches.
Topuria also possesses far superior submissions and wrestling than Bryce Mitchell. Topuria can be injured by Emmett – we saw Jai Herbert nearly halt Topuria up a weight class – but Topuria appears to have the better overall talents.
Prediction: Ilia Topuria wins via submission at UFC Fight Night.