Josh Emmett Faces Ilia Topuria in Main Event Slot on June 17th
A high-stakes top-10 matchup between Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria has just been announced to headline UFC Fight Night 227 at a currently unconfirmed location and venue, per Koi Menero.
This fight takes place in the Featherweight (145 lbs) division.
Josh Emmett is ranked #5 at Featherweight and holds a professional record of 18-3 (9-3 UFC). He has notable wins over Calvin Kattar, Shane Burgos, and Michael Johnson.
Ilia "El Matador" Topuria has an undefeated professional record of 13-0 (5-0 UFC) and is ranked #9 at Featherweight. He has credible wins over Bryce Mitchell, Jai Herbert, and Ryan Hall.
Official odds have yet to be released.
Josh Emmett is looking to rebound from his loss to Yair Rodriguez in February at UFC 284. Emmett would challenge for the Interim Featherweight Championship but come up short and lose via second-round submission. Despite this loss, Emmett has incredible knockout power, which he demonstrated against Michael Johnson when he knocked him unconscious at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Gaethje and excellent wrestling credentials. He'll look to bounce back from his loss to Rodriguez by handing Topuria his first professional MMA defeat.
Ilia Topuria is ripping through the Featherweight division. Finishing all but one of his bouts, "El Matador" has displayed his frighting KO power and ground game, which has been very present in his last two outings. His most recent bout was a dominant performance against equally undefeated Bryce Mitchell at UFC 282, who he dropped and submitted in the second round of their contest. Before that, he earned a knockout of the year contender when he flatlined Jai Herbert at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall. In his first main event inside the UFC, Topuria will be looking to claim the most significant victory of his career over his first top-5 opponent.
This is an electrifying matchup in the Featherweight division. Who do you have winning the bout? As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know your prediction in the comments below.
