Nobody’s spent more time fighting Ilia Topuria than Josh Emmett.
A finisher of the highest order, having KO’ed Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, the UFC Featherweight Champion Topuria has stopped all but two of his career opponents, Emmett the only fighter to see the championship rounds with the Spaniard.
It was June 2023, Topuria’s first five-round main event in Jacksonville, Florida. At 26, the #9-ranked Topuria had never faced a imposing force quite like Emmett’s, the former title challenger with KO power in both of his hands.
Nevertheless, Ilia Topuria would beat Josh Emmett at his own game.
Josh Emmett is the only fighter to go 5 rounds with Ilia Topuria
Emmett was all-heart across 25 minutes of action. Like so many of his other fights, Emmett tried to take Topuria’s head off from the opening bell with Topuria taking his time, utilizing his movement to find his jabs.
The opening round was competitive between the featherweights with Topuria picking up the pace in round 2. Topuria peppered Emmett with the jab, rocking him with punches against the cage. Topuria nearly finished Emmett again towards the end of round 2.
Battered and bloody, Emmett held strong in the third round. The American was willing eat shots to land some of his own, swelling the eye of Topuria.
Ilia Topuria scored a ’10-7′ score with dominating round
Emmett survived to see round 4, which no one had ever seen with Topuria.
90 seconds left to go in the round, Topuria took control with a thudding knockdown, following a hurt Emmett to the mat. Topuria landed ground and pound with Emmett taking loads of punishment as he tried his best to return to his feet.
Once he was up, Emmett kept on swinging. Topuria used his aggression against him, countering with a shot to put him down.
Topuria swarmed Emmett on the ground, hunting for the finish with his strikes. Emmett tried to escape, covering up as little as he could.
The bell sounded right as Topuria was fishing for a submission. Josh Emmett had survived another round, somehow able to see round 5 and the judges’ scorecards with his left eye almost completely shut and blood running down his face.
Judge Chris Lee had the fight scored 50-42 for Topuria, scoring round 3 ’10-8′ and round 4 ’10-7′ because of how one-sided it was for Topuria.
The two other judges scored round 4 ’10-8′ with Eric Colón thinking Emmett did enough to win round 1 against Topuria.
Josh Emmett was already known as one of the most feared knockout artists in the UFC but from his war of attirition with Ilia Topuria, we can see he also has one of the biggest hearts.
Emmett returns in the main event of UFC Vegas 105 across from another undefeated contender in Lerone Murphy.
As for Topuria, he will no longer be the UFC Featherweight Champion as of next month, relinquishing his title for a lightweight move.
