UFC featherweight contender Josh Emmett addressed his fans after a decisive loss at UFC Vegas 105.
Josh Emmett didn’t look his age in the UFC Vegas 105 main event on Saturday, giving the undefeated Lerone Murphy a back-and-forth battle in the Octagon. But despite his impressive showing, it wasn’t enough to stop Murphy’s unbeaten run.
Emmett fell to Murphy by unanimous decision in the UFC Vegas 105 headliner, losing his third bout over his last four appearances. Murphy remained unblemished in his UFC tenure and is knocking on the door of a potential featherweight title shot.
Emmett’s disappointing setback came after his vicious knockout of Bryce Mitchell in his most recent performance.
Josh Emmett responds to retirement speculation after UFC Vegas 105
The 40-year-old Emmett remains a dangerous matchup for the featherweight division’s top contenders, going the distance with Ilia Topuria and fighting for the interim title at UFC 284. But after the loss to the upstart Murphy, some have questioned how much more tread on Emmett’s fighting tires remains.
Emmett proved a defiant answer in his first public remarks after UFC Vegas 105.
In a recent post to X, Emmett addressed his following for the first time since losing to Murphy.
“Big thanks to everyone in my camp and all my supporters,” Emmett began. “No damage taken–ready for the best one.
“I’ll be back soon!”
Before his current losing skid, Emmett was on a five-fight winning streak from 2019-2022, earning wins against the likes of Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige, and Shane Burgos. The knockout artist seems determined to return to the Octagon later this year for at least one more potential title run.
Emmett is a featherweight mainstay since his promotional debut in May 2016. Wins over Ricardo Lamas, Scott Holtzman, and Michael Johnson quickly put Emmett on the featherweight division map.
Lerone Murphy targets former title challenger after UFC Vegas 105
After outpointing Emmett at UFC Vegas 105, Murphy set his eyes on moving one step closer towards a featherweight title shot with his post-fight callout. During the post-fight show on ESPN, Murphy called out former title challenger Brian Ortega for his next fight.
Ortega hasn’t fought since a loss to Diego Lopes at UFC 306 in September. After submitting former interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez last year, Ortega appeared on the cusp of a potential title shot.
Emmett, Murphy, and the other top featherweights are all eying the belt after Topuria’s announced title vacation. Ahead of UFC 314, Murphy is knocking on the door of challenging the main event winner.
