We have now wrapped up the prelims and now it is time for the first of two title fights on the card. The Interim UFC Featherweight Title is on the line after Alexander Volkanovski announced he will be fighting for the Lightweight title! What transpired next was a fight being made between two absolute rocks in the division which should give us a very entertaining fight. So without further ado let’s break down Yair Rodriquez vs Josh Emmett.
Much argument has been given to this fight regarding if these two truly deserve this title shot. Yair Rodriquez is currently on a one-fight winning streak after beating an injured Brian Ortega back in July 2022 and previously before that, he lost to Max Holloway in an absolute barn burner over 5 rounds.
For Josh Emmett, he is currently on a five-fight win streak beating the likes of Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige and Shane Burgos. Some would question that Josh Emmett hasn’t beaten anyone in the top 5 in the division.
What this will cause is both fighters coming into this fight with a point to prove. Can Josh Emmett prove his doubts wrong that he can beat the higher-calibre talents in the division? Will Yair Rodriquez find another level and prove to the world why he is the best prospect in the division?
Since coming into the UFC Yair Rodriguez has showcased his talented striking fight after fight and I’m almost certain this man isn’t capable of a boring fight. Whether he is throwing his jabs, elbows, knees or kicks, Yair’s truly eccentric style of fighting makes him a problem to contain due to his ability to throw unpredictable strikes mixed with his uncanny ability to avoid significant strikes.
Yair Rodriquez has 82% win rate in 17 fights which is a remarkable feat. Breaking that down further 5 wins were by KO/TKO, 3 wins by submission and 6 wins by decision. Rodriquez is currently landing 4.67 significant strikes per minute with 45% accuracy. Yair is absorbing 4.12 strikes per minute with a 43% defensive percentage. When it comes to grappling, Rodriquez attempts 0.83 takedowns per 15 minutes with 28% accuracy with 62% takedown defence. Yair is attempting 0.7 submissions per 15 minutes.
When it comes to Josh Emmett, the man has been on fire in the division and is continuously developing the skill set he has been working on for many many years. Predominately a wrestler, Josh Emmett will be looking to leverage his 14+ years of wrestling experience to rubber-stamp his place in the division. With that being said Josh Emmett has displayed improved striking and definitely possesses that one-punch knockout ability and is often looking to set up his powerful overhand right.
Josh Emmett (18-2-0) currently has a win percentage of 90% with 6 wins by KO/TKO, 2 wins by submission and 10 wins by decision. Josh Emmett is currently landing 4.28 significant strikes per minute with 37% accuracy whilst absorbing 4.29 strikes per minute with a 63% defensive percentage. Emmett is attempting 1.04 takedowns per 15 minutes with 40% accuracy and a 58% takedown defence percentage. Emmett is attempting 0.1 submissions per 15 minutes.
This is an incredibly hard fight to predict and I’ve been going back and forth for the past month pondering exactly which play I will be taking in this fight. At 37, this could be Emmett’s only chance to win a potential title fight and Rodriquez still has many years to develop his craft at only 30 years of age. That being said I believe that Yair’s superior striking, movement and unpredictability will cause a lot of problems to Emmett’s game plan and I think Josh is going to struggle to get any sort of momentum in this fight unless he can land the takedown. Ultimately, I’m going with Yair Rodriquez to win by decision.
Well there you have it, that’s my breakdown for the upcoming Lightweight title fight at UFC 284. Stay tuned for more UFC 284 content on TheMockSports and on my socials @cammysmooth1! Don’t forget to check out the UFC banter channels in the Dabble app on Sunday if you would like to chat all things UFC and more!
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Quick Facts:
- Yair Rodriquez has finished in round 1 50% of the time.
- Yair Rodriquez’ quickest win came in 00:13 by KO.
- Yair Rodriguez’s average fight rounds when won is 2.3.
- Josh Emmett has won by decision 56% of all wins.
- Josh Emmett’s quickest win came in 00:45 seconds by KO.
- Josh Emmett when won by finish has won in round 1 75% of the time.