He is one of the top up-and-coming talents on the UFC roster, and Emmett is well aware that collecting a victory on Saturday is not going to be easy, but he’s also buoyed by the fact that he’s treading familiar ground, while Topuria is entering into unfamiliar territory.
“The UFC is looking to build him up, but I’ve fought a lot of guys that are similar to him, his style,” began the veteran, who posted consecutive victories over Mirsad Bektic, Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, and Calvin Kattar prior to losing to Rodriguez in Perth. “He’s really good. He’s a really good fighter — young, confident — but he’s never fought anyone close to me. There is nobody that is even close to my abilities.
“He’s a jiu jitsu black belt; he’s a short, stocky, powerful boxer, and a decent wrestler; he’s just a well-rounded fighter,” continued Emmett, who has a shotgun for a jab and a bazooka for a right hand. “But it’s also easy when you’re the hammer — when you’re just going out there, beating people, and you’ve never been in a fight.
“You learn a lot about yourself when it’s close or going back-and-forth,” he added. “Or maybe you have to come back from behind, and he’s never been to those later rounds, so if we go to the fourth and fifth rounds, I’ve been a champion on the regional scene, I’ve been five rounds in the UFC, I can push the pace, and it’s gonna be new to him.”
Some fighters in Emmett’s current position might bristle at being matched up with the hottest prospect in the division right after challenging for interim gold, feeling as if fighting backwards in the rankings and being paired off with an unbeaten talent like Topuria is disrespectful.
