Topuria emerges as new featherweight contender

The UFC’s featherweight division has a new contender in the shape of Ilia Topuria, who claimed a resounding victory over Josh Emmett in the main event of a Fight Night at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on the morning of Sunday 25 June 2023.

The 26-year-old Georgian-Spaniard was on an even footing with his veteran 38-year-old American opponent through the first round, but from the second onward he was in full control – laying down an onslaught of offence that left Emmett battered and bruised, defiantly refusing a doctor’s intervention between rounds four and five.

Yet Emmett’s resilience did not prevent judges’ scorecards that were massively in favour of Topuria, who took the fight 50-44 50-42 49-45 – one judge awarded him a pair of 10-8s and a rare 10-7 round, such was his dominance.

Topuria, in his post-fight interview, called for a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski, who has dominated the featherweight division in recent years.

“As always, the new generation always brings something new," Topuria said of a potential clash against Volkanovski. "The level of my fight game is much better than his. This is the way I feel.”

Volkanovski is set to headline UFC 290 next month when he faces Yair Rodriguez in a unification bout for the division’s championship.

The rest of the main card saw Maycee Barber stop Amanda Ribas in the second round of their women’s flyweight fight; Austen Lane v Justin Tafa in the heavyweight division ended in a No Contest after an accidental eye poke just 30 seconds in; Ugandan featherweight David Onama made quick work of Gabriel Santos with a second-round knockout; and the middleweight opener saw Brendan Allen submit Bruno Silva in the opening round.

The next UFC event is a Fight Night at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 2 July 2023, headlined by a middleweight bout between Sean Strickland and Abusupiyan Magomedov.

UFC Fight Night: Emmett v Topuria – Main card results

- Main event: Featherweight: Ilia Topuria def. Josh Emmett via unanimous decision (50-44 50-42 49-45), R5, 5:00

- Women’s flyweight: Maycee Barber def. Amanda Ribas via TKO (punches & elbows), R2, 3:42

- Heavyweight: Austen Lane v Justin Tafa ends in No Contest (accidental eye poke), R1, 0:29

- Featherweight: David Onama def. Gabriel Santos via KO (punch), R2, 4:13

- Middleweight: Brendan Allen def. Bruno Silva via submission (rear-naked choke), R1, 4:39