The Octagon returns to The Sunshine State Saturday for UFC on ABC 5, which features a featherweight main event between Ilia Topuria and Josh Emmett.
Brendan Allen and Bruno Silva kick off the main card, while Maycee Barber and Amanda Ribas tussle in the co-main slot.
This five-round banger headlines the main card at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Prelims begin at 12 noon ET, while the main card begins at 3 p.m.
The public sure loves "El Matador" Topuria, who sits as a -400 favorite.
UFC on ABC 5: Emmett vs Topuria Betting Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Josh Emmett | +300 |
| Ilia Topuria | -400 |
Odds as of June 20
Per our odds calculator, a $100 bet on Topuria at -400 (80% implied chance) pays out $125. The same $100 on Emmett at +300 (25% implied chance) pays out $400.
How To Watch UFC on ABC 5: emmett vs topuria
There's always blood at these UFC on ABC cards. Here's how to watch the upcoming featherweight event.
- Date/Time: June 24, 12 p.m. ET
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida
- Arena: Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena
- Where to Watch: ABC, ESPN, Cable Provider
UFC on ABC 5: Emmett vs Topuria Full Card & Betting Odds
Here's Saturday's lineup in Jacksonville.
- Main Card
- Featherweight Main Event – Ilia Topuria (-400) vs Josh Emmett (+300)
- Women's Flyweight – Amanda Ribas (-188) vs Maycee Barber (+162)
- Heavyweight – Justin Tafa (-175) vs Austen Lane (+150)
- Featherweight – David Onama (+187) vs Gabriel Santos (-225)
- Middleweight – Brendan Allen (-175) vs Bruno Silva (+150)
- Prelims
- Welterweight – Neil Magny (-160) vs Philip Rowe (+130)
- Welterweight – Randy Brown (-250) vs Wellington Turman (+200)
- Lightweight – Mateusz Rebecki (-150) vs Loik Radzhabov (+125)
- Women's Strawweight – Tabatha Ricci (-138) vs Gillian Robertson (+110)
- Flyweight – Zhalgas Zhumagulov (-175) vs Joshua Van (+150)
- Lightweight – Trevor Peek (-125) vs Chepe Mariscal (+100)
- Featherweight – Jamall Emmers (-200) vs Jack Jenkins (+170)
- Flyweight – Tatsuro Taira (-275) vs Kleydson Rodrigues (+225)
- Middleweight – Cody Brundage (-175) vs Sedriques Dumas (+150)
Odds as of June 20
Josh Emmett vs Ilia Topuria Tale Of The Tape
| Fighter | Josh Emmett | Ilia Topuria |
| Age | 38 | 26 |
| Record | 18-3 (9-3 UFC) | 13-0 (5-0 UFC) |
| Avg. Fight Time | 12:51 | 7:20 |
| Reach | 70" | 69" |
| Sig. Strikes Per Minute | 4.17 | 3.32 |
| Sig. Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 4.43 | 2.75 |
| Takedowns Per 15 Minutes | 1.07 | 2.45 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 37% | 44% |
| Takedown Defense | 58% | 92% |
Emmett vs Topuria Preview: Who Will Win?
The -400 odds on Topuria suggest the Spaniard will dominate. But is that really going to happen?
How Topuria Wins
I'll bet a lot of fight fans envision Topuria and Emmett chucking knuckles for a few minutes followed by someone (likely Emmett) hitting the floor. While that's certainly possible — both guys are very powerful — I'm not sure it's in El Matador's best interests.
Yair Rodriguez defeated Emmett at UFC 284 with a flurry of long kicks and shots to the gut. Once "CC0" was winded, the Mexican, even off his back, sunk in a triangle choke to win out. Emmett didn't struggle much before tapping.
Topuria is a vastly different fighter than Rodriguez, but I think a submission is still very much in play for the favorite. The 26-year-old will primarily try to slug Emmett to the canvas and get a choke from there. That said, there's a route where Topuria wins by a traditional takedown and a transition into a top-position finish.
How Emmett Wins
If Emmett is smart, he'll have nothing to do with Topuria's ground game. The American wins this fight by using Topuria's train-like momentum against him. Topuria has a tendency to overswing; he gets excited, sees red and wants to kill his opponent. That's unwise against a veteran like Emmett.
Watch for the 38-year-old to protect himself in the guard and make Topuria dig himself into trouble. El Matador can be knocked down — see his fight vs Jai Herbert — so there's no doubt Emmett can sock him on a counter and shut him down for good.
Josh Emmett vs Ilia Topuria Pick
While I don't think +300 odds are a fair representation of Emmett's chances, I'm not about to back him either. Topuria is younger, faster, hungrier and has way more to gain from a victory.
This is a great, action-packed fight, and ultimately I think Topuria secures a victory inside the distance. This bout will drown us in chalk, but I'll go Topuria by KO/TKO/SUB (-250) and the fight to extend OVER 1.5 rounds (-125).
