Featherweight contender Josh Emmett is hoping for another highlight-reel knockout finish when he faces off against Shane Burgos at UFC on ESPN 11 this Saturday (June 20). Emmett is riding high after back-to-back knockout wins over Michael Johnson and Mirsad Bektic. Speaking exclusively to LowKickMMA the #8 ranked featherweight noted that Burgos is a tough fighter who will give him all he can handle on fight night.
“He’s a dangerous fighter, Emmett said. “He’s an up and comer. He only has one loss on his entire pro record and amateur and that’s to Calvin Kattar. It was a super close, back and forth fight. Who knows what would’ve happened if it went to the scorecards if he didn’t get caught in the third (round). And that was a few years ago so I expect that Shane Burgos. He’s physically a big featherweight. He has a long reach. He is a great striker with a gas tank and high output and he’s well rounded – he has a BJJ black belt as well, a lot of people don’t know that.”
While Emmett has great respect for Burgos and his well-rounded game the Team Alpha Male fighter expects to benefit from his opponents come forward style which will make him easy to land heavy shots, he explained.
“He has a well-rounded game but I think I’m a bad match-up for anyone in the featherweight division and stylistically with him coming forward I don’t have to worry about chasing somebody around. He’s going to come right to me and I will land a big shot I’ll tell you that. One big shot can either end or change the fight.”
In an ideal scenario, Emmett would score one of his patented one-punch KO’s but he realises it isn’t always possible and the 35-year-old is more than ready to win this fight however it plays out, he said.
“In a perfect world I want to go out there and have another highlight-reel finish and it’s exciting for the fans. I feel like I have a well-rounded game. I can go wherever this fight goes. I feel like I can dictate where this fight goes. If I wanna take him down I can and I feel like my grappling and Jiu Jitsu is pretty good too as well and my gas tank so I’ll be able to match that. Even given the circumstances with the three-week training camp. I’m always in great shape and I fought five-round fights on the regional scene when I was a champion and I feel like I start to get my second wind in the championship rounds. So, I’m going to go for broke and it’s going to be an exciting and definitely entertaining fight for sure.”
Do you think Josh Emmett will knock out Shane Burgos?