Josh Emmett Beats Calvin Kattar, Wants a Shot at the Title

Josh Emmett defeated Cavin Kattar in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Austin, Texas. The two featherweight rivals have put on a memorable performance, and they have been pretty close on the scorecards. However, in the end, it was Emmett who found himself on the winning side of a split decision.

Two scoring judges gave the edge to the 37-year-old, while one scored in Kattar’s favor. The results were the same, 48-47, which only tells how tight this contest really was.

“I thought I had it four to one,” Emmett said after the bout.

how do you give Round 4 to Emmett? pic.twitter.com/BqCcD9NuJL

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 19, 2022

What we saw in Austin was a pure boxing spectacle, with both fighters displaying fantastic stand-up skills, mixing combos and going back and forth throughout all 25 minutes. Even though Emmett looked like he absorbed more damage, his behavior throughout the bout apparently left a good impression on the judges.

His body shots were devastating, and each time Kattar went after him, Emmett would respond in the same manner. As time went by, Kattar increased the tempo, and he had more control than Emmett, mixing his jabs very effectively, but that wasn’t enough for the judges to score in his favor.

Elbows were also Kattar’s weapons, and on several occasions, he really shook Emmett, but somehow, the older fighter managed to stay on his feet, and instantly respond with a few hard hooks. We can say his hits weren’t on target all the time but that they were significantly stronger than Kattar’s.

Josh Emmett is now on a five-fight win streak and beating Calvin Kattar is a massive feather in his cap. At this point he’s gotta be one more win away from getting a title shot. He’s also 37 so if he’s going to make a title run, it has to be now. #UFCAustin

— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) June 19, 2022

This was the fifth consecutive victory for Emmett. Before Kattar, he beat Michael Johnson, Mirsad Bektic, Shane Burgos and Dan Ige, which is the fourth-longest winning streak in the featherweight division. There is no doubt about his next plan, which is to become a title challenger.

“I believe a title shot should be next. Calvin Kattar was ranked No. 4. Look at the guys he has fought. Holloway and Volkanovski are arguably some of the best featherweights of all time, but they need some new blood and I can get it done,” he said

Some things have to be sorted out first, and a lot depends upon not just the title bout, but the clash between Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega. The winner of this bout also has a very high chance of becoming a title challenger.

As for Kattar, this was his fifth main event in the past six battles. He is still one of the elite featherweights but will need to dig a bit deeper to earn a title shot.

Kevin Holland Gets The Sub (+700) In His Home State! https://t.co/icfhxUpfcO pic.twitter.com/0UG7tc4dE4

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 19, 2022

In other fights of the night, Kevin Holland was better than Tim Means. Holland, who got down to the welterweight, looked very good, beating Means via D’Arce choke in the second round. He looked pretty sharp, and it seems that it is much better for him to stay in the welterweight than to be a middleweight. After beating Alex Oliveira via TKO, this was his second straight win in this division, for which he earned another Performance of the Night Bonus.

Joaquin Buckley beat Albert Duraev via TKO, as the doctors stopped the bout, dominating throughout the entire event. Gregory Rodrigues was clinical against Julian Marquez, while Adrian Yanez knocked out Tony Kelley in the first round, improving his UFC record to 6-0.

Up next, we have the UFC on ESPN: Tsaruykan vs Gamrot, and after that, the spectacle – UFC 276.