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

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

After returning to its home base in Las Vegas last weekend, the UFC was again on the street 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 proper skilled report 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 Struggle Night time: Emmett vs. Topuria.

At present'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

Adverse – A Gradual Begin

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

When the UFC is on the street, it is all the time useful to have an entertaining opening contest, be it within the type of a end or a 15-minute thriller. On Saturday, nevertheless, we received 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 applicable for a bingo corridor than the Octagon.

The primary problem seemed to be Brundage, who merely could not get going and albeit did not seem to be he wished to be within the cage. Sadly, no quantity of agency suggestions from coach Marc Montoya within the nook was capable of 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 various gifted fighters who’ve been launched by the promotion in latest 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 will not be.

Picture&colon; David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports activities

Optimistic – Chaos

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

Approach 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 constructive final result?

Given the pair’s battle types and restricted putting protection, a firefight on the toes all the time appeared doubtless. Nevertheless 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 sort of strike that did not come out when Peek and Mariscal hellaciously threw at each other. Entrance kicks, test. Spinning pictures, test. Roundhouse kicks, test. Step-in elbows, test. Standing hammerfists, test.

You get the concept.

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

What a solution to make your UFC debut!!! @ChepeMachineGun earns the UD in dominant trend 👊 #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 injury to an opponent’s leg. Unsurprisingly, a person nicknamed “Rebeasti” was keen to do exactly that.

Mateusz Rębecki prolonged his skilled profitable 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 trend.

Throughout the first spherical, “Tajik Tank” was already struggling along with his mobility having eaten an abundance of leg kicks. Quickly into the second, the extent of that injury was revealed, with Radzhabov barely capable of 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 along with his violent and well-rounded show.

Rebecki along 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 authentic contender within the middleweight division has lengthy gone below 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.

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

Whereas Allen was initially scheduled to battle 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 outing, however he must be lauded for greater than delivering on his favourite standing.

After an entertaining firefight on the toes within the early goings, Allen landed the toughest blow of the battle, 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 recent challengers for the champion, the 27-year-old’s continued rise is an enormous constructive.

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 toes.

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” linked with a couple of pictures on the best way down and a hammerfirst on the bottom for good measure.

Make no mistake, Onama is one to observe people.

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

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 24, 2023

Adverse – Heavyweights Stifled

Effectively, that was disgusting.

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

It isn’t an over exaggeration to say that this might 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 a few of the brutal limb breaks we have seen contained in the Octagon.

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

I am undecided what referee Dan Miragliotta was ready for with a view to wave the battle off, to be sincere. 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 “Dangerous Man” could not see.

It is all the time a disgrace to see a battle 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 lately made headlines after he contemplated the potential for a separate UFC entity for the ladies’s roster. Through the dialogue, “Sugar” recommended that solely a “few” feminine fighters are literally entertaining.

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

The pair of flyweight contenders put on a war in Jacksonville that may little doubt be among the many fights mentioned as the most effective of the yr come the top of 2023.

Barber and Ribas threw with dangerous intentions early, with the previous falling on the appropriate aspect of the primary vital 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 every part within the cage on the toes, launching mixtures and countering with clear pictures. The start of the top 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, in my view, unwarranted judging controversy surrounding her earlier victory over Andrea Lee, “The Future” was in want of an enormous efficiency.

Effectively, contemplate that field ticked, ticked, and ticked once more. And rely 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 so far’ in as convincing trend as Ilia Topuria did on Saturday night time? “El Matador” cemented himself as greater than only a featherweight prospect in Jacksonville by dismantling former interim title challenger Josh Emmett across five rounds.

With knockouts of Jai Herbert and Ryan Corridor, it was clear to myself and I believe 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, rely me stunned at how he carried out in his important occasion debut.

Towards Emmett, I did count on the Georgian-Spaniard to have his hand raised. However with that degree of dominance? You would be hard-pressed to seek out anybody who predicted that.

For 25 minutes, “El Matador” frankly beat “The Combating Farmer” from pillar to put up, 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 some of the 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 great likelihood of dethroning “Alexander the Nice.”

Ilia Topuria.