Josh Emmet and Ilia Topuria meet in the main event of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Jacksonville. This featherweight battle could be extremely interesting and impactful for the division.
Before Betting on Emmet vs. Topuria
Josh Emmet is the 38-year-old veteran who suffered only three losses in his 21 MMA appearances. His last battle ended with a defeat, as he failed to beat Yair Rodriguez in the interim title fight, which also allowed Rodriguez to challenge Alexander Volkanovski.
He comes as an underdog in this event, even though he fought some of the top names in the division, unlike his rival. We’ve seen him defeat Michael Johnson, Dan Ige, Calvin Kattar, Shane Burgos, etc. Emmet is a hard hitter whose striking volume is at a very high level. Still, there are certain aspects of the fight where he lacks the skill, and the most obvious are wrestling and grappling.
Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria’s specialty is grappling and fighting on the mat. The Georgian is extremely talented for that type of battle, and there aren’t too many rivals who could escape his grip and grinding machine. It is no wonder he has 13 wins without a single defeat in his career.
Though, we have to add that his opponents in the octagon weren’t some top names and that the most recent victory over Bryce Mitchell was, in fact, his biggest so far. Topuria is young, 26 years, and so far, he appeared five times in UFC fights, finishing the previous four.
Emmet vs. Topuria UFC Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Emmet | Topuria |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | 3.60 | 1.32 |
| Bovada | 3.75 | 1.29 |
| BetUS | 3.60 | 1.32 |
| SportsBetting.ag | 3.60 | 1.32 |
| Pinnacle | 3.67 | 1.30 |
| MyBookie | 3.70 | 1.30 |
Emmet is more experienced, but we don’t believe he will win here. The reason is his inferiority on the ground, and at some point, the young Georgian will drag him to the mat. From then on, we believe it will be a one-way street.
