The news went from bad to worse for UFC Orlando’s Josh Emmett on Saturday night.
Suffice to say, UFC Orlando did go go according to plan for Josh Emmett. The Team Alpha Male fighter rode into the night on a wave of success following his surprise knockout of Ricardo Lamas late last year. However, after a strong first round, Emmett found himself rocked and dropped in the second against Jeremy Stephens in Orlando last night. Things then went from bad to worse. Stephens began unleashing elbows to the fallen fighter, most of which appeared legal. However, at least two looked as if they hit the back of the head, which would be considered illegal. Worse, Stephens subsequently connected with a knee to the downed fighter, which while grazing, also appeared illegal.
Stephens would add additional strikes to finish Emmett off. Ultimately, he got both the win and a Performance of the Night award. Yet fellow fighters, fans, pundits, and even the UFC on FOX broadcast team immediately began debating the subject. On the UFC on FOX end, former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz immediately claimed he didn’t see what the fuss was about. “I don’t see what people are arguing about, I really don’t” Cruz claimed on the broadcast. However, his impartiality is immediately brought into question, given he’s a potentially biased observer due to his long-running feud with Team Alpha Male, led by arch-rival Urijah Faber.
Other parties, such as UFC lightweight Kevin Lee, suggested that Emmett appeal the result And that appears is what will happen, per comments by MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.
Meanwhile, the news was even worse for Emmett, as ESPN’s Brett Okamoto has reported that the fighter suffered three fractures in his orbital bone as a result of the bout.
Per his team, Josh Emmett suffered three fractures to his orbital bone tonight. This sport is no freaking joke.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 25, 2018
As a result, Emmett is likely looking at a lengthy layoff. Team Alpha Male’s Faber also made it clear how he felt about the finish on social media:
Gimme a break! Feel for @JoshEmmett155, congrats @lilheathenmma but that was an illegal knee. @… https://t.co/4zq9cR7jy0
— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) February 25, 2018
