The Spanish Ilia Topuria defeated the American Josh Emmett by unanimous decision in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held this Saturday in Jacksonville, United States.
Topuria overwhelmed Josh Emmett and slammed the table down in the featherweight division. The Spaniard, with an undefeated record of 14-0, knew how to make his fight. He nullified the power of the American first and overwhelmed him later. Final victory for Topuria who claims for a title opportunity.
Emmett (18-4) started unapologetic, throwing hands and trying to pressure a well-ordered Topuria. Sporting, as usual, very academic boxing. The American triggered the combinations with his lead hand and tried to land the overhand forehand, his main asset.
Emmett was interested in exchanging gunpowder, unleashing chaos, but Topuria didn’t fall for it. ‘El Matador’, patient, controlled the center of the cage, withstood the attacks of the American and, with half a step back, answered with short but precise actions to nullify the anarchic Emmett.
Topuria continued with his same line of work. Looking to stop the effervescence of an Emmett who was significantly touched. ‘El Matador’ unleashed a forceful right hand and I can even add control time with his fight. His rival was chasing shadows around the cage.
‘El Matador’ stepped on the accelerator in the fourth and ran over the American. He connected a tremendous ‘upper’ to the counterattack and sent it to the canvas, from there he was a monologue of the Spanish. He kneaded it flush with the canvas and only the bell could save an Emmett who had to be checked by the medical team to assess if he could go out to the last chapter.
The Spaniard did not take risks in the fifth round against a willful Emmett. He brought out his wrestling game and overwhelmed the American, who was in the fight only on will and with no hope of detonating a single punch that would give him the fight.
Topuria (14-0) prevailed by unanimous decision on the cards, made history by becoming the first Spaniard to win a main event fight in the UFC. ‘El Matador’, who will go on to be in fifth place in the featherweight division, knocks on the door for a title opportunity against Australian Alexander Volkanovski.
“Nobody can match the level that I have inside the cage, I always do it when I’m inside and I have shown it again tonight. I am the next man, without any doubt, I deserve it,” Topuria said of an upcoming title opportunity.
“That Alex (Volkanovski) defends the title, that he shows himself here, that the whole world will see that his reign is going to end”, he added.
The undefeated Spanish wrestler also highlighted Emmett’s toughness who, despite the fact that the contest was very uphill, did not give up. “I was hoping to knock him out in the first round, but this guy is very, very tough. I want to thank Josh for bringing all that energy into the cage,” he said.
