UFC on ABC 5 Main Event Breakdown

Between now and Sept. 23, the first Saturday of fall, there"s one UFC card each weekend. The summer of fights begins this Saturday with a matinee affair, UFC on ABC 5.

Live coverage of UFC on ABC 5 begins with the prelims at noon ET/ 9 am PT on ESPN. Main card fights immediately follow at 3 pm ET/ noon PT on your local ABC station. With no competition from the likes of the USFL or MLS in that timeslot, this could be a chance for the UFC to score big in the ratings.

All told, UFC on ABC 5 features 14 fights. Highlighting the day"s activities is a featherweight showdown in the UFC on ABC 5 main event.

Emmett Clashes with Topuria in UFC on ABC 6 Main Event Saturday

No. 5 contender Josh Emmett (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on No. 9 contender Ilia Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC.) This was a fight that was to have taken place last week during UFC on ESPN 47, yet it was rebooked to occur this weekend.

As with all UFC main events since 2011, this headliner is a maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the afternoon"s itinerary.

Two heavy handed featherweights coming your way in the main event this week 👊#UFCJacksonville | SATURDAY | Live on @ABCNetwork pic.twitter.com/RdzObGQqRG

— UFC (@ufc) June 19, 2023

UFC on ABC 5 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds

Heading into the UFC on ABC 5 main event on Saturday, Ilia Topuria stands as the taller contender at 5-foot-7, compared to the 5-foot-6 frame of Josh Emmett. However, Emmett owns a one-inch reach (70 inches to 69 inches) and a 2 1/2-inch leg reach advantage (39 1/2 inches to 37 inches even) over Topuria.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the oddsmakers have Ilia Topuria installed as a -310 favorite on the money line, with Josh Emmett countering as a +260 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Josh Emmett Looks to Get Back on Track

Josh Emmett enters the UFC on Abc 5 main event having gone 4-1 in his last five fights. Last time out, he suffered a second-round submission (triangle choke) during UFC 284 on Feb. 11 against Yair Rodriguez (15-3, 1 NC MMA, 10-2, 1 NC UFC) for the promotion"s interim featherweight championship in the co-headliner.

Prior to that, Emmett had won five fights in a row. Despite the defeat in February, he received some positivity from Rodriguez afterward, something that the latter noted in his press conference.

“I told him ‘No, no. Hey, no. Stop that thinking that you have right now'", said Rodriguez. ‘"You"re a warrior. You will overcome this. You got this." So the only thing I could say to him was, ‘You"re a warrior, brother. We find a way to stand up every time we fall to the ground, and I"m sure he will do that. So stay strong, and I"m sure that we"ll see each other in the future. So keep staying stronger, brother.'"

With a win on Saturday, a rematch against Rodriguez would certainly be in play for Josh Emmett if he wins against Ilia Topuria. All that remains would be a Yair Rodriguez victory over Alexander Volkanovski in UFC 290 on July 8.

UFC on ABC 5 Main Event Latest Stop in Topuria"s Quest to Fight Pimblett

In the other corner, Ilia Topuria has yet to lose thus far in his professional MMA career. Most recently, he stopped Bryce Mitchell (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) by second-round arm triangle choke in UFC 282 back on Dec. 10.

After his last two fights, Topuria has used his post-fight interviews and media availability to challenge Paddy Pimblett to a bout later on. Following the December win, he renewed the calls to fight Pimblett.

“I feel like the UFC"s protecting him [from] me," Topuria said. “I don"t know why. In reality, that"s the fight to make right now, because it"s one of the biggest fights in the UFC. We can perfectly sell a pay-per-view. That fight makes more excitement for people than [many] championship fights."

Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett got into a verbal battle at the UFC 282 pre-fight press conference back in December. Will a win in the UFC on ABC 5 main event lead to a sanctioned fight between the two later on?

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the UFC on ABC 5 main event looks to favor Ilia Topuria, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, compared to Josh Emmett, a former collegiate wrestler and blue belt in BJJ.

Look for Josh Emmett to Land the Big Shots

In looking at the video of Josh Emmett"s 2019 fight against Michael Johnson in Philadelphia, he can end the fight with vicious punches. During the third and final round, the two men started by exchanging feints. This slowed the pace of the contest down for a few moments.

Emmett started to pull away when he landed a kick to Johnson"s head, followed by a right-handed shot a little while later. Although Johnson continued to stalk Emmett, it would prove immaterial in the long run, as Emmett picked his shots and knocked Johnson out with a single punch to the head.

If Josh Emmett is able to slow Ilia Topuria down, it could be the momentum shift he has to have to win the UFC on ABC 5 main event.

Topuria Brutal with Submissions

In the other corner, Ilia Topuria"s ground game is fantastic. Just ask Bryce Mitchell, who was on the receiving end of a submission in December.

Round two began with Topuria landing some punches to Mitchell"s head as a counterattack from the latter"s offensive gameplan. Bryce Mitchell scored with a two-punch combo with a kick, yet Topuria struck with a right hand to knock Mitchell down.

From there, the fight transitioned to the ground with Topuria taking back mount, yet Mitchell fought to rise to his feet and tried to repeatedly land punches in an effort to score the knockout. It didn"t work. thanks to the former securing side control and grappling with the latter.

With under two minutes to go in the second period, he applied the needed torque to lock up the arm-triangle choke and force Mitchell to tap out. If he can grab hold of Emmett, it could be game on for Topuria.

Final Thoughts

A Saturday afternoon UFC card is a treat. Given the fact that there are no other MMA shows competing against the UFC on ABC 5 main event, you have no reason not to watch.

Prediction: Josh Emmett by Unanimous Decision.