UFC Jacksonville Results: Ilia Topuria dominates super durable Josh Emmett

Ilia Topuria put on a dominant performance against Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC on ABC 5, winning via unanimous decision with scores of 50-44, 50-42, and 49-46.

Ilia Topuria just put the featherweight division on notice 😤 #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/ZsqFNLcgAW

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 24, 2023

Ilia Topuria put on the performance of his career

Topuria was in control from the start, landing heavy shots and taking Emmett down repeatedly. Despite Emmett’s toughness and heart, he was unable to mount any significant offense throughout the fight. Topuria’s striking and grappling were on full display, showcasing his well-rounded skillset.

He put on an absolute clinic out there and almost put away Josh Emmett on numerous occasions but Emmett’s durability kept him battling in the fight until the very end. Topuria was one of only four fighters that have ever gotten a 50-42 on the scorecards.

According to @ESPNStatsInfo, there have only been three other 50-42 scorecards in UFC history: Max Holloway’s win over Calvin Kattar in 2021, Rich Franklin’s victory over David Loiseau in 2006 and Dave Menne’s win over Gil Castillo in 2001.

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) June 24, 2023

Josh Emmett’s valiant effort

Emmett showed incredible heart and toughness, refusing to give up despite being outmatched for the majority of the fight. He landed some solid shots of his own but was unable to do any significant damage to Topuria.

Many other fighters in the featherweight division wouldn’t have been able to stand up to the barrage of heavy strikes thrown his way as Topuria did. So, there should be no knock on Emmett’s game as he is still one of the best featherweights in the entire UFC, and hanging in there against someone as powerful as Topuria over 25 minutes showed that.

What’s next for Ilia Topuria?

With this impressive win, Topuria improves his record to 14-0 (6-0 UFC) and solidifies his position as one of the top featherweights in the UFC. Topuria is already calling for a title shot and he has a strong case to make that happen especially if Alexander Volkanovski defeats Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Volkanovski has cleared out the entire division if he defeats Rodriguez coming up in a couple of weeks. Topuria would be the perfect next opponent for the reigning and defending featherweight champion and it certainly has fireworks written all over it. Also, Topuria has a massive fanbase in both Georgia and Spain that would have a multitude of eyes all over that matchup from all around the world.

Overall, UFC Jacksonvile was an exciting event with several impressive performances. Topuria’s dominant win over Emmett was the highlight of the night, showcasing his potential as a future champion in the UFC’s featherweight division.