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Josh Emmett addresses Edson Barboza fight rumors
Josh Emmett was thrown off guard when the news broke that he would be fighting longtime lightweight contender Edson Barboza.
Prior to the UFC postponing their events, it was reported that Barboza (20-8) would be making his featherweight debut against Emmett (15-2) at UFC Oklahoma City on May 2.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Emmett said that he did discuss fighting Barboza, but no bout agreement was signed.
“I actually just found out online,” said Emmett. “I was on the phone with my manager when this was put out there and I was asking him about possible dates, possible opponents, and then my phone was blowing up and I opened Instagram…I was like, ‘Oh, they announced this fight,’ They never even asked me.”
Originally the UFC reached out to Emmett’s manager about fighting Barboza on April 25 in Nebraska. At the time of the call, Emmett was vacating while still nursing an injury, so he was unable to fight on that date.
Emmett previously pulled out of a fight in January against Arnold Allen due to an undisclosed injury. His timeline to return to the octagon is set for mid-May to July. Given those return dates, Emmett said he was never going to fight Barboza on May 2. If he does fight Barboza in his return, he knows that it’s going to be a big gamble for him.
“I also have one fight left on my contract, so the whole thing with that is, I was saying I’ll fight anybody – it just has to make sense because from a business standpoint and what I’m trying to accomplish. If Barboza were to come down to featherweight, it’s high risk for not much of a reward. He comes down – say he beats me. Then he takes my spot, and they probably push him. For me – I win, I stay where I’m at.”
Emmett has found a home for himself at featherweight. Since dropping down to 145 pounds, Emmett is 6-2 and is coming off back to back wins. Given his position within the division, Emmet was hoping for a top-ranked opponent, so if the UFC really wants him to fight Barboza, then they’re going to take care of him.
“I’m not opposed to it,” Emmett said. “It has to make sense, and in that case (Barboza), whether there’s something in there, I beat him, then I get this. Or financially, if it’ll set me up for later on, then of course – yeah, I’m open to it. But it has to make sense.”
Neither Emmet or Barboza have fought in 2020. Barboza has lost four of his past five fights.
