Two top featherweight contenders will collide in the main event at the UFC Fight Night on Saturday, June 24, when #5-ranked Josh Emmett battles #9-ranked Ilia Topuria at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Emmett (18-3-0) posted five consecutive victories - including wins over Dan Ige, Shane Burgos, and Calvin Kattar - before suffering a submission loss at UFC 284 in February to Yair Rodriguez.
Topuria (13-0-0) has an unblemished record as a professional and is riding a five-fight win streak since joining the UFC. In his last fight at UFC 282 late last year, Topuria earned a submission win over grappling standout Bryce Mitchell.
New York sportsbook WynnBet has Topuria (-315) as the favorite to defeat Emmett (+250). The German opened as a massive favorite to win the bout and is also closing as a significant betting favorite to deal the American his second straight setback. Topuria could put himself in line for a possible title shot with a victory, while Emmett can get right back in the title hunt with an upset win.
Topuria could be in line for a shot at the championship if he can earn a decisive victory over Emmett. The undefeated 26-year-old is a well-rounded fighter who made an early name as a masterful submission artist but has become a dangerous striker with legitimate knockout power.
The Climent Club standout is the first-ever Georgian Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He is an elite combatant on both his feet and the ground, and he registered back-to-back-to-back knockout wins against Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall, and Jai Herbert.
The German-born fighter sports a 49% striking accuracy with 3.32 significant strikes landed per minute. Topuria has a considerable advantage over Emmett on the mat and averages 2.47 takedowns per 15 minutes while boasting a takedown accuracy of 46%. He also defends attempted takedowns with a 96% success rate.
El Matador is a rising superstar in the featherweight division and is confident he can finish Emmett quickly.
"Josh Emmett has nothing to lose," Topuria explained. "He's fighting a superstar. He'll be proud to share the cage with me for the rest of his life. He'll tell his kids that he was there with me one time. He's perfect to be finished in the first round," added the 5-foot-7 mixed martial artist. "His style matches mine in a way that I will shine that night. My only concern is that he shows up on the night of the fight."
Emmett will be competing for the second time in three months. The 38-year-old veteran is a knockout artist whose best trait is throwing bombs at opposing fighters. He is a durable competitor who hits like a truck and can get inside and connect on a match-winning blow.
The Arizona native will use his one-punch knockout power to neutralize the grappling skills of Topuria. He has a takedown defense of 58% but is only successful in 37% of his takedown attempts.
The "CC0" connects on an impressive 4.17 significant strikes landed per minute. However, his 37% striking accuracy is below average, and his takedown defense is not much better at a dismal 58%.
All signs point to a lopsided victory for Topuria, but Emmett is a dangerous striker with a wealth of experience in the Octagon. Topuria should be able to get Emmett on the mat and make this a grappling matchup, but he might also showcase his improving boxing skills.
The UFC betting odds for this flyweight showdown are now live on most sportsbooks, including WynnBet, which has listed Topuria as a -315 favorite. Thus, If you favor Topuria to win the fight, you'd need to bet $315 on Topuria to win $100. However, if you fancy the underdog Emmett (+250) pulling off the upset, a $100 bet would net you a total payout of $350.
Besides the moneyline, another popular bet is the Over/Under. For more bang for your money, you can bet on the total number of rounds in this fight. When making a wager on the total rounds odds, you're betting on how long the match will last. If you bet the bout will last Over 2.5 rounds, the fight must end after the halfway point of the third round. You lose the bet if the contest ends in Round 1, Round 2, or before the clock hits 2:30 in the third round.
Topuria has gone Over 2.5 rounds in just one fight in his last four matchups. He believes he can dispose of Emmett in the opening round and should end the fight before midway through the third round. Thus, an Under 2.5 rounds is a smart bet.
Top flyweight contenders Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria will butt heads in a five-round showdown in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday, June 24, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Mixed martial arts fans in New York can watch the fight live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
#9-ranked Ilia Topuria is the favorite to defeat #5-ranked Josh Emmett in the main event. WynnBet has Topuria as a -315 betting favorite, while Josh Emmett is the +250 underdog despite being the higher-ranked fighter.
#9-ranked Amanda Ribas (11-3-0) will tangle with #11-ranked Maycee Barber (12-2-0) in an entertaining flyweight co-main event, and middleweights Punahele Soriano (9-3-0) and Sedriques Dumas (7-1-0) will clash in an intriguing matchup. In another middleweight encounter, #13-ranked Brendan Allen (21-5-0) will battle Bruno Silva (23-8-0).
Mixed martial arts enthusiasts can place bets during the fight with live UFC odds that constantly change based on what's happening in real-time inside the Octagon. If you think the underdog Emmett will upset Topuria, place a wager on it, and you might win some extra cash.
For UFC fans, WynnBet New York is a well-known sportsbook where they can bet on this top featherweight contenders showdown.
