6 Positives & 2 Negatives From UFC Fight Night: Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria

On Saturday, the blended martial arts chief returned for its newest occasion, UFC Combat Night time: Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria.

After returning to its dwelling base in Las Vegas final weekend, the UFC was again on the highway for a card in Jacksonville, Florida. The VyStar Veterans Memorial Enviornment performed host to the promotion’s fifth present to air on the ABC tv community, and a headliner worthy of the event topped proceedings.

Entertaining featherweight contenders took middle stage, the place former interim title challenger and #5-ranked Josh Emmett hoped to bounce again from his defeat in Perth this previous February by blemishing the right skilled document of the #9-ranked Ilia Topuria.

With the likes of flyweight prospect Maycee Barber, heavyweight knockout artist Justin Tafa, middleweight contender Brendan Allen, and all-time most winningest welterweight Neil Magny all taking to the cage, the June 24 occasion appeared set for some entertaining motion.

However did that come to fruition? Let’s discover out with all of the positives and negatives from UFC Combat Night time: Emmett vs. Topuria.

At this time's FULL #UFCJacksonville lineup 🤩[ Prelims 11:30amET on @ESPN | Main Card 3pmET on @ABCNetwork | B2YB @HSpecialSurgery ] pic.twitter.com/wTOsJfXZxK

— UFC (@ufc) June 24, 2023

Destructive – A Gradual Begin

Nothing will get an enviornment crowd going like a three-round snoozer, am I proper?

When the UFC is on the highway, it is all the time helpful to have an entertaining opening contest, be it within the type of a end or a 15-minute thriller. On Saturday, nonetheless, we acquired neither.

Sedriques Dumas and Cody Brundage had the chance to set the tone in Jacksonville — a tone that in the end ended up being extra acceptable for a bingo corridor than the Octagon.

The primary problem gave the impression to be Brundage, who merely could not get going and admittedly did not appear to be he wished to be within the cage. Sadly, no quantity of agency suggestions from coach Marc Montoya within the nook was in a position to spur the Michigan native into motion.

And with Dumas seemingly content material on grinding out a low-output victory on the scorecards, that left us with an underwhelming begin to the cardboard.

It additionally begs questions surrounding quite a few gifted fighters who’ve been launched by the promotion in current instances or have but to be signed. It is arduous to see a world the place both Brundage or Dumas are UFC commonplace and sure others aren’t.

Picture&colon; David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports activities

Optimistic – Chaos

If Dumas and Brundage’s bout was a poor option to begin the cardboard, the other was the case two fights later…

Method largely went out the window when featherweights Trevor Peek and Chepe Mariscal shared the cage. However whereas we love to observe MMA’s most expert in motion, is anybody going to fake that an all-out brawl is not additionally a optimistic final result?

Given the pair’s struggle types and restricted placing protection, a firefight on the ft all the time appeared seemingly. However it’s protected to say that not many would have predicted absolutely the chaos and violence that passed off.

It is arduous to consider a kind of strike that did not come out when Peek and Mariscal hellaciously threw at each other. Entrance kicks, examine. Spinning photographs, examine. Roundhouse kicks, examine. Step-in elbows, examine. Standing hammerfists, examine.

You get the thought.

In the end, it was Mariscal who emerged victorious in his debut, marking a long-awaited and profitable arrival on MMA’s largest stage.

And having performed his half in securing Combat of the Night time honors (written earlier than they acquired snubbed within the post-fight bonuses, however I am leaving it in as a protest…) in simply the third struggle on the cardboard, eyeballs will little doubt be on “Machine Gun” when he returns for his sophomore look.

What a option to make your UFC debut!!! @ChepeMachineGun earns the UD in dominant style 👊 #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/olZnez5jX8

— UFC (@ufc) June 24, 2023

Optimistic – Legendary Polish (Leg) Energy

There’s one thing badass about being keen to interrupt your foot in pursuit of dealing irrecoverable harm to an opponent’s leg. Unsurprisingly, a person nicknamed “Rebeasti” was keen to do exactly that.

Mateusz Rębecki prolonged his skilled successful run to 14 straight fights in his promotional debut this previous January. In his sophomore outing, he was tasked with stalling the rise of the extremely touted Loik Radzhabov, who earned his personal plaudits upon his entrance at UFC 285 in March.

In the long run, it was the Polish fighter who ascended additional up the light-weight ladder, and he did so in brutal style.

Throughout the first spherical, “Tajik Tank” was already struggling together with his mobility having eaten an abundance of leg kicks. Quickly into the second, the extent of that harm was revealed, with Radzhabov barely in a position to stand.

After persevering with to pummel his opponent’s decrease limbs, Rębecki in the end closed out proceedings by shutting the lights out upstairs with a brutal left hook.

On a preliminary card that noticed restricted finishes, “Rebeasti” stood out together with his violent and well-rounded show.

Rebecki together with his first UFC end! #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/i4SrIeXsg3

— MMANews (@mmanews_com) June 24, 2023

Optimistic – Allen Proves Himself… Once more

Brendan Allen’s place as a reputable contender within the middleweight division has lengthy gone beneath the radar. Even an upset submission victory over Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist André Muniz did not appear to safe “All In” the respect he deserves from the followers and the rankings panel.

Properly, add the Louisianan standout’s efficiency at UFC Combat Night time: Emmett vs. Topuria to the pile of proof supporting his credentials contained in the Octagon.

Whereas Allen was initially scheduled to struggle up the ladder towards Jack Hermansson, an damage to the veteran noticed the unranked Bruno Silva drafted in. Not solely does the #13 contender deserve credit score for accepting a protection of his rating after such an unimaginable victory final day trip, however he needs to be lauded for greater than delivering on his favourite standing.

After an entertaining firefight on the ft within the early goings, Allen landed the toughest blow of the struggle, dropping “Blindado.” From there, “All In” was affected person en path to yet one more rear-naked choke submission win — the tenth of his skilled MMA profession.

With that membership & sub, Allen has greater than earned a crack on the prime 10. And in an usually underwhelming division that’s bereft of contemporary challengers for the champion, the 27-year-old’s continued rise is an enormous optimistic.

BRENDAN ALLEN TURNS THE TABLES!!!!!! 😳😳😳@BrendanAllenMMA | #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/AZwcKyzxDG

— UFC (@ufc) June 24, 2023

Optimistic – Uppercut From Hell

‘Emphatic’ is one in every of few phrases that does David Onama’s triumph in Jacksonville justice.

As anticipated, Onama and fellow featherweight prospect Gabriel Santos delivered the sort of high-paced and expert battle that was anticipated of them, with each males discovering success on the ft.

In the long run, it was the Ugandan who landed the killer blow, flooring his Brazilian opponent with a very brutal uppercut late in spherical two. Including to the vicious nature of the end, “Silent Murderer” related with a number of photographs on the best way down and a hammerfirst on the bottom for good measure.

Make no mistake, Onama is one to observe of us.

BRUTAL UPPERCUT FROM ONAMA 👊 pic.twitter.com/DdQfB1RWnZ

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 24, 2023

Destructive – Heavyweights Stifled

Properly, that was disgusting.

Heavyweights Justin Tafa and Austen Lane appeared set to deliver us to the headline fights with a present of brutal energy. Sadly, these expectations failed to come back to fruition owing to an eye fixed poke that rendered the Australian unable to proceed.

It isn’t an over exaggeration to say that this may need been the worst eye poke in UFC historical past, to the purpose the place it drew a hand-over-the-eyes response from myself akin to among the brutal limb breaks we have seen contained in the Octagon.

Many followers appear to like doubting the toughness of fighters who cannot get better from fouls. Suffice to say, no one held that power when it got here to Tafa on Saturday evening…

I am unsure what referee Dan Miragliotta was ready for as a way to wave the struggle off, to be trustworthy. Maybe Tafa’s eyeball to fall out? That is the one factor that was lacking when it got here to additional clear-cut proof that “Unhealthy Man” could not see.

It is all the time a disgrace to see a struggle finish that manner, particularly for the 2 rivals. Austen Lane was making a long-awaited promotional debut in entrance of his fellow Jacksonville residents, an element that solely makes the untimely ending extra disappointing.

Optimistic – WoMEn’S mMa IsN’T enTeRTaIniG

Sean O’Malley not too long ago made headlines after he contemplated the potential of a separate UFC entity for the ladies’s roster. Through the dialogue, “Sugar” steered that solely a “few” feminine fighters are literally entertaining.

Properly, hopefully he had Maycee Barber and Amanda Ribas in thoughts.

The pair of flyweight contenders placed on a struggle in Jacksonville that can little doubt be among the many fights mentioned as the most effective of the 12 months come the tip of 2023.

Barber and Ribas threw with dangerous intentions early, with the previous falling on the correct aspect of the primary important second when she bust the Brazilian open with a pointy elbow within the clinch.

And after avoiding a leglock try on the bottom, “The Future” ended the opening spherical by throwing a barrage of ground-and-pound. It was within the second body the place issues actually went from barnburner to barnburner.

Each girls left all the pieces within the cage on the ft, launching combos and countering with clear photographs. The start of the tip got here when Barber landed a mammoth head kick, which she later capitalized on to drop Ribas with a close-range left hook.

Barber’s potential has all the time been clear, however she’s considerably fallen sufferer to the lofty expectations round her blossoming profession and an early entry into the UFC. With an unlucky and, for my part, unwarranted judging controversy surrounding her earlier victory over Andrea Lee, “The Future” was in want of an enormous efficiency.

Properly, contemplate that field ticked, ticked, and ticked once more. And depend the elite at 125 kilos firmly placed on discover.

MAYCEE BARBER IS A PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!! 😤😳 @MayceeBarber | #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/SgSxA30wiY

— UFC (@ufc) June 24, 2023

Optimistic – The Featherweight Future Is Right here

Has anybody ever handed a ‘hardest check up to now’ in as convincing style as Ilia Topuria did on Saturday evening? “El Matador” cemented himself as greater than only a featherweight prospect in Jacksonville by dismantling former interim title challenger Josh Emmett throughout 5 rounds.

With knockouts of Jai Herbert and Ryan Corridor, it was clear to myself and I feel most others within the MMA neighborhood that Topuria boasts immense promise. However whereas that led me to foretell a cushty victory over Bryce Mitchell final December, depend me shocked at how he carried out in his fundamental occasion debut.

In opposition to Emmett, I did anticipate the Georgian-Spaniard to have his hand raised. However with that degree of dominance? You would be hard-pressed to search out anybody who predicted that.

For 25 minutes, “El Matador” frankly beat “The Preventing Farmer” from pillar to submit, rendering him nearly unrecognizable. To place Topuria’s show into context, he even earned an extremely, extremely, ultra-rare 10-7 rating in spherical 4 from Chris Lee — a verdict I’m fully snug with.

The featherweight division has lengthy been probably the most stacked within the UFC, however it’s been dominated over by an imposing champion who’s appeared largely unstoppable. However for the primary time shortly, I am assured in saying that one rising star at 145 kilos has a superb probability of dethroning “Alexander the Nice.”

Ilia Topuria.