Josh Emmett hasn’t broken through
When thinking of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, Josh Emmett doesn’t necessarily come to mind.
Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, and Khamzat Chimaev are who comes to mind in that regard. But Josh Emmett has produced some of the most brutal finishes in the modern UFC era.
Why has Emmett not broken through the static? Fighters like Pereira and Dustin Poirier have suffered losses. What makes them successful and loved by the fans?
The brutality of Josh Emmett
Josh Emmett has authored some vicious knockouts that have stood the test of time. When he beat Michael Johnson, Emmett was down on the scorecards. He managed to find a late 3rd round knockout to snag the win.
Ricardo Lamas, Mirsad Bektic and others have all hit the floor in their demise from the Team Alpha Male lightweight contender. But his best fight was his most recent finish.
Bryce Mitchell lost his soul to Josh Emmett. Convulsing on the floor, the world watched as they legitimately were concerned for Mitchell’s wellbeing. A massive right hand put down the Arkansas native and sent him to the shadow realm.
Why hasn’t he broken through?
Now 40 years of age, Josh Emmett doesn’t have the hype behind him. Taking on Lerone Murphy at UFC Vegas 105, Emmett is now fighting in his fifth main event. Despite the wins, the knockouts, and the headlining fights, the casual fan hasn’t found Emmett.
The California native is 10-4 in the UFC. His debut was in 2016. Long layoffs and injuries have really hampered Emmett’s star power.
Understandably, Emmett took a year off after his knockout loss to Jeremy Stephens. Emmett was soon forced to pull out with an injury just before the COVID-19 pandemic and was sidelined for another year.
From 2020 to 2023, Emmett took a single fight each year. When he was finally ready to have a full schedule in 2023, he was beat by triangle to Yair Rodriguez and was outclassed by Ilia Topuria over five rounds.
He finally notched a win on the year with the aforementioned knockout of Bryce Mitchell.
It’s now 2025. Nearly a year and a half after Emmett’s career best win, he’s failed to capitalize off of the hype.
Inactivity killed Josh Emmett’s career. That doesn’t mean he’s any less dangerous.
