Featherweight standout [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] is tired of being cast in the role of gatekeeper and wants the chance to prove himself against the very best the 145-pound division has to offer.
The Team Alpha Male stalwart proved his toughness once again Saturday, as he battled through a knee injury sustained in the first minute of the fight to defeat Shane Burgos in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 11 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was a performance that delivered a big statement to his doubters, and Emmett doubled down in his press conference comments, as he called on the UFC to give him the promotional push he thinks his talents deserve.
But with the UFC featherweight division looking absolutely stacked – and with virtually everybody above him either officially booked to fight, or close to being booked – it begs the question: Who makes the most sense as Emmett’s next opponent inside the octagon?
MMA Junkie’s Simon Head, Farah Hannoun and Danny Segura tackle the topic as they offer their matchmaking takes in this week’s edition of Triple Take.
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Simon Head: Sit tight, get back to 100 percent, then face the winner of Kattar vs. Ige
I sympathize with Emmett’s position here, but also recognize the difficulty the UFC’s matchmakers face in accommodating his totally legitimate request.
Emmett undoubtedly proved he’s deserving of a fight against one of the contenders above him in the UFC rankings. His problem is almost everyone is tied up, but with his knee needing at the very least some rest; and at worst, surgery, it looks like he may have to sit tight and wait for things to shake out anyway. And that might make things much clearer as a host of key featherweight fights play out in the coming months.
Stylistically, a fight with Calvin Kattar would make for an outstanding matchup, but he’s set to face another rising contender, Dan Ige, in Abu Dhabi next month. A fight with the winner of that matchup looks like the perfect next step for Emmett. A victory over the winner of that fight should position him perfectly for a Top 5 fight, and the opportunity to solidify his credentials as a legitimate title threat.
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With two-dollar-steak toughness and a pair of sledgehammers for hands, Emmett is going to be a tough test for anyone at the sharp end of the featherweight division. The biggest battle may actually face the matchmakers themselves, who will have to persuade a higher-ranked fighter to risk it all against the dangerous Californian.
I met Emmett during fight week ahead of his UFC debut in the Netherlands back in 2016, when he stepped in on short notice to face Jon Tuck in Rotterdam. His attitude back then was that he’d fight anyone prepared to stand across the cage from him. Now he’ll need to see that same attitude from a top featherweight contender, with one of them agreeing to risk their spot against one of the toughest, hardest-hitting ’45ers in the division.
Next: Farah Hannoun: Either Zabit Magomedsharipov or Yair Rodriguez works