One of the best performances at UFC Sacramento came courtesy of Josh Emmett, who viciously knocked out Mirsad Bektic in the first round to win via TKO.
It was a tremendous performance by the Team Alpha Male product, who sent the hometown crowd into a frenzy with the finish. The victory was Emmett’s second straight win by knockout, and it should put him in title contention at 145lbs.
After the fight, various pros took to social media to offer their reactions on Emmett’s Performance of the Night-winning knockout.
WOW was that a jab!?
advertisement – continue reading below— Luis Antonio Pena (@violentbobross) July 14, 2019
Man Emmett looked good , Bektic had been noticeably stronger then most opponents but Emmett matched that with the takedown defense then finished
— Baldy Ed (@brianboom135) July 14, 2019
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@JoshEmmettUFC for the win!!!! #UFCSacramento
— Max Griffin (@MaxPainGriffin) July 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/JMarquezMMA/status/1150216439871053824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1150216439871053824&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloodyelbow.com%2F2019%2F7%2F13%2F20693343%2Fmma-news-pros-react-josh-emmett-tko-mirsad-bektic-ufc-sacramento
What a great win for Josh Emmett over Mirsad Bektic. In Sacramento, too. First-round TKO. He’s so powerful.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 14, 2019
Josh Emmett with a HUGE first round finish to put away Mirsad Bektic. It's time to stop doubting this guy as a legit threat to anybody in the featherweight division.#UFCSacramento
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) July 14, 2019
Emmett vs Aldo sounds like fun to me. #UFCSacramento
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) July 14, 2019
As you can see, Emmett’s fellow fighters as well as some of the top MMA journalists were all very impressed by his spectacular first-round finish over a quality young fighter in Bektic. This is one the heels of a huge KO over Michael Johnson in Emmett’s last fight.
Since losing to Jeremy Stephens in February 2018 and missing a year of action due to various injuries accrued in that fight, Emmett has stormed back with a vengeance to become one of the top featherweights on the planet. This win over Bektic should garner him a big fight his next time out.
UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway puts his belt on the line at UFC 240 later this month against Frankie Edgar. Should Holloway win that fight as the betting odds suggest he will, then it’s likely that Alexander Volkanovski is next in line for a title shot at 145lbs.
After Volkanovski, though, it’s likely Emmett who has a good argument at being next in line for a title shot. He likely still needs one more marquee win on his resume in order to garner a shot at the belt, but getting knockouts over guys like Johnson and Bektic will surely put Emmett in the title conversation.
Do you think Josh Emmett is a legitimate title contender at 145lbs?