The main event sees two fighters at a crossroads in the featherweight title picture. Emmett lost an interim title fight to Yair Rodriguez in February and now the UFC veteran is facing a fight against highly-rated prospect Topuria to keep his place in the top five rankings.
In his most recent fight, Emmett was submitted by Yair Rodriguez with the interim title on the line in February. But the American, 38, was on a healthy winning run before that result, and an emphatic victory here could get him right back in the title picture.
The co-main event features a pair of women’s flyweights who are vying to emerge as a potential title challenger. The #11 ranked Maycee Barber has managed to mature into a physical presence in the division that her opposition can hope to outmuscle while the savvy #9 ranked Amanda Ribas rebounded after dropping her debut at 125.
Both fighters are eager to move up the rankings and close in on a title clash soon but must win this weekend.
This card also includes the women’s flyweight bout between Amanda Ribas and Maycee Barber.
MMA Fighting has UFC Jacksonville results for the Emmett vs. Topuria fight card, a live blog of the main event, and more from Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday.
In the main event, Josh Emmett looks to hand Ilia Topuria his first career loss in a featherweight contest.
The UFC returns to Jacksonville, Florida, for UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Topuria. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena will be the home of the 14-bout card and will be headlined by a Featherweight showdown between Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria.
