Josh Emmett found himself on the wrong end of a star-making performance from Kevin Vallejos in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 269 main event.
Former interim title challenger Emmett (19-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) saw his late-career slid continue at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas when he was battered and stopped by TKO inside four minutes of the featherweight headliner against Vallejos (18-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC).
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With the result, Emmett now just has one victory in his past six fights – and it was that unforgettable one-hitter quitter knockout of Bryce Mitchell from December 2023. He can only live off that highlight for so much longer, though, and despite all his losses coming against top-ranked competition, the fights are also getting more lopsided.
That would be expected for a 41-year-old who has been through a handful of grueling wars, and if Emmett is still in this to be at the championship level, he needs to take a hard look at what’s been going on.
It’s clear the dedication and work ethic is still there. Emmett wouldn’t come into these fights with the physique he has without them. However, you can’t train your ability to take damage, and it’s evident Emmett is struggling in that area.
Could Emmett still find some moments of success against some select names in the top 30 of the division? Surely. But outside of chasing a few more paydays, there’s not much of a point.
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Should Emmett just retire? That’s his call. He could fight someone like the winner of Patricio Freire vs. Aaron Pico at UFC 327 or another fighter in a similar range at 145 pounds, but those fights would seem to have more downside than upside, so it’s quite the conundrum.
Whatever decision Emmett makes about his future will be the right one. He has a good group of people around him, and if he chooses to go again, perhaps a fight against someone who isn’t arguably the top prospect in the spot right now, would go more favorably for him.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 114 matchmaker: Who’s next for Josh Emmett after loss?
