Ilia Topuria has his biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) opportunity to date.
Georgia’s Topuria (13-0) is set to headline his first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on June 17, 2023, against recent interim Featherweight title challenger, Josh Emmett (18-3), per a report from KOImenero. A location for the UFC Fight Night event has yet to be be determined.
The surging Topuria shined brightest on his biggest platform this past Dec. 2022, facing Bryce Mitchell on UFC 282’s main card. Needing just two rounds to get the job done, “El Matador” beat “Thug Nasty” everywhere the fight went before submitting him with an arm-triangle choke (watch highlights). Topuria called for a bout with two-time title challenger, Brian Ortega, afterward, but “T-City” isn’t 100 percent healthy, which is what possibly led to this new pairing.
Emmett will hope to rebound off his first title opportunity this past Feb. 2023. Competing in Perth, Australia at UFC 284, Emmett fought valiantly against Yair Rodriguez in their interim title affair. Unfortunately for the 145-pound knockout artist, Emmett came up short via a second-round triangle choke submission (watch highlights).
The news of the Emmett vs. Topuria headliner bout makes for just the third fight on the June 17, 2023, card thus far.
Check out the current line up for the June 17, 2023 UFC Fight Night below:
- 145lbs.: Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria
- 125lbs.: Jimmy Flick vs. Alessandro Costa
- 125lbs.: Tereza Bledá vs. Gabriella Fernandes