Athletes
Josh Emmett Hopes To Deliver A ‘Rude Awakening’
Former Interim Title Challenger Josh Emmett Hopes To Put Himself Back In The Title Conversation With An Emphatic Win Over The Unbeaten Lerone Murphy On April 5
Josh Emmett’s power and the devastating impact of that power has more or less defined the 40-year-old’s mixed martial arts career. When he steps into the Octagon, opponents and fans alike anticipate Emmett uncorking his wicked fast and powerful overhands and what landing one of them might do to his foe. In his last fight against Bryce Mitchell, Emmett needed less than two minutes to answer that question, delivering one of the most terrifying knockouts of the decade so far.
That finish not only halted his two-fight skid and earned him a performance bonus, but it solidified Emmett’s place on the precipice of the featherweight title picture. Instead of parlaying that result into another run toward a title shot, he elected to take some time off and heal his body, and he returns to action more than 15 months later against the unbeaten and surging Lerone Murphy on April 5.
Order UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes
When asked about the time away, Emmett said he believed he owed it to himself, his coaches and his family to be 100 percent, which he believes he is heading into his next headliner and a reflection of how much better he understands the importance of taking care of his body.
“When I was just getting into the sport, it's like you would almost do too much,” Emmett told UFC.com. “So, now I'm telling these younger fighters to relax. I think, at least for me, the longevity of my career has been due to recovery.”
Since his last fight, Emmett’s former opponent Ilia Topuria knocked out Alexander Volkanovski to take the belt, knocked out Max Holloway to defend it and then decided to vacate the title.
FREE FIGHTS: Emmett vs Mitchell | Murphy vs Barboza
With Topuria out of the picture, Volkanovski and Diego Lopes lock horns for the vacant belt at UFC 314 in Miami next week, which Emmett sees as decent enough timing for his own run toward gold.
First, however, he needs to get past Murphy, who is unbeaten through eight trips to the Octagon and dispatched Edson Barboza and Dan Ige in 2024. The bout represents Murphy’s second five-round assignment, and an opportunity against a former title challenger is exactly the kind of fight he needs to push him into the elite conversation. Emmett is completely aware of the situation, and although there is less in the fight for him other than stacking a couple of wins together, he knows it’s his job to take the risk against the up-and-coming guy.
Josh Emmett Remains Focused On UFC Gold
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Josh Emmett Remains Focused On UFC Gold
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“It's high-risk, no-reward for me,” Emmett said. “But, at the end of the day, I want to be a world champion. I should be able to beat anyone. He called me out. It's also, ‘Be careful what you ask for,’ and he's never fought anybody like me.
“He's going to be in for a rude awakening on Saturday night.”
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When you boast the power Emmett does, the expectations for fireworks are immense, and he often delivers. He has landed the most knockdowns in featherweight history (12), and his 1.32 knockdowns per 15 minutes is tied for second all-time in the division.
With the nuclear option readily available, Emmett harnesses it with patience and thoughtfulness. That, combined with his sturdy wrestling background, makes for an evergreen danger no matter his age. He feels like he has everything fine-tuned along with his coaches at Team Alpha Male. April 5 provides another window to display those improvements and talents, and the ultimate goal remains the same: UFC gold.
“I've been doing everything to get back into title contention, and timing is everything,” he said. “With this fight, and that the vacant featherweight title is next weekend, I just have to go out there and perform the way that I know I'm capable, get a huge win, and I'll be in the conversations and back in title contention.”
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 5, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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