Add another one to the list of UFC events in Jacksonville, Florida, this weekend when two top-5 featherweights clash in the headlining bout. Interim title challenger, Josh Emmett is looking to bounce back against the up-and-coming star, Ilia Topuria.
Read further for a complete betting analysis and preview, along with the official Emmett vs Topuria prediction, before making your picks this weekend.
Emmett vs. Topuria Information
Josh Emmett vs Ilia Topuria
Location of the fight: Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL.
Date and Time: June 24, 2023. 3 PM ET
How to Watch: ESPN+
Last Fight Record
Emmett lost to Yair Rodriguez earlier this year in a featherweight interim title fight; he was submitted in the second round.
Topuria absolutely steamrolled an undefeated Bryce Mitchell last December in his last appearance; submitting him in round 2.
Emmett vs. Topuria Betting Analysis
Josh Emmett
Emmett has been the dark horse in the UFC featherweight division since his career started in the company back in 2016. He has kept his head down and won 9 out of his 12 fights. Which led him to his first title fight in February of this year. It was shown how he wasn’t quite dynamic enough to compete with someone with the skillset of Rodriguez.
The 38-year-old trains out of Team Alpha Male and is clearly still in great shape entering the twilight of his career. He is 18-3 with 6 TKO/KO wins and 2 submissions in his professional career. Emmett is known to fight at a high pace with lots of power in his hands and a solid wrestling attack. He averages 4.17 significant strikes landed per minute in the UFC, but he has absorbed an average of 4.43.
Ilia Topuria
If you haven’t gotten hip to the fact that Topuria is here to stay at the top of the UFC for probably the next decade, you can see for yourself this weekend. Fighting out of Spain, he is trailblazing a path to the UFC for others coming after him from a country that really isn’t known for fighting.
At only 26 years old, Topuria seems to pass the eye test as one of the most dangerous fighters in the division. He has steamrolled through every single person he has faced. And decided to outwrestle Bryce Mitchell–who was considered maybe the strongest grappler in the division. Topuria averages 3.32 sig. strikes landed per minute and only 2.75 absorbed. Along with those striking numbers, he holds a 92% takedown defense while averaging 2.45 takedowns of his own per 15 minutes spent inside the octagon.
Emmett vs. Topuria Betting Preview
According to UFC odds, Topuria comes into this one as the big -310 betting favorite over Emmett, who is currently at +260 to start fight week.
These odds make sense, but it’s still scary to think how much power Emmett has in 4-ounce gloves, being a +260 underdog. Emmett only needs one clean punch to land at this weight class to end the fight, even though he hasn’t knocked anyone out since 2019.
We don’t want to think so highly of Topuria that the bias thoughts start rolling in, but if he continues his success with this level of opponent, it’s gonna be undeniable how great of a fighter he is.
If you are betting your money on this fight and listening to this Emmett vs Topuria prediction, please take time to watch past fights of both men and see for yourself. Topuria’s performance against Bryce Mitchell, Jai Herbert, and Damon Jackson will show you how much violence and technique this kid brings to the cage.
Even against a wacky style like Ryan Hall, Topuria got the job done being patient; this shows he also has a good fight IQ and will carry out a gameplan. Emmett has the advantage of experience, and he will have a great gameplan as well.
Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria Betting Prediction
After breaking down this fight both analytically and technically, it’s time to make the Emmett vs Topuria prediction. UFC predictions are always so difficult to make because we have no idea how healthy a fighter is, what will happen in the fight, or even how the judges will score a fight.
If you are going to put money down on this main event bout, live on ABC, the only justifiable pick is Ilia Topuria to get his hand raised on Saturday afternoon.
Topuria is just so explosive, violent, and has great technical skill to match Emmett in literally every aspect of the fight. Assuming he comes into this week healthy, Topuria can surely hurt Emmett on the feet and finish the fight with his hands or via submission in the early rounds.
If this fight get’s deeper into the 4th and 5th rounds, Emmett starts having a better chance with his experience, but we have no reason to believe that Topuria can’t be dangerous for all 25 minutes.
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