UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Ilia Topuria batters Josh Emmett for wide decision, calls for title shot

Ilia Topuria is the real deal. Topuria battered, bloodied and bruised the ultra-durable Josh Emmett for the majority of their five-round featherweight tilt at UFC Fight Night in Jacksonville on Saturday. Topuria’s breakout performance has him knocking on the door of a title shot.

A competitive first round gave way to a one-sided drubbing in the second. Topuria landed big blows that dropped and repeatedly rocked Emmett. The rugged veteran leaned on his powerful counterpunching and savvy to rescue him from peril several times throughout the fight. Emmett’s eye was nearly swollen shut by the halfway mark of Round 3 as blood masked the left half of his face.

Round 4 was by far Topuria’s most dominant as he dropped and walloped Emmett multiple times. A defiant Emmett refused to let the doctor intervene between the fourth and fifth rounds. He came out swinging with nuclear punches that Topuria wisely avoided. Once the pace slowed, Topuria wisely secured a takedown. Topuria was awarded a clear unanimous decision (50-44, 50-42, 49-45) with one judge giving the Spaniard a pair of 10-8s and a rare 10-7 round.

Topuria’s excellence and modern, well-rounded approach to fighting were presented brilliantly on Saturday.

“As always, the new generation always brings something new,” Topuria said of a potential clash against Volkanovski. “The level of my fight game is much better than his. This is the way I feel.”

Topuria improved his perfect record to 14-0 and could very likely fight the winner of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez for the undisputed featherweight championship. Emmett (18-4) has suffered consecutive losses for the first time after previously falling short to Rodriguez.

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