Undefeated featherweight Ilia Topuria’s rise in the UFC continues, and he’s now booked his first main event with the promotion.
As first reported by Eurosport’s KOlmenero, Topuria (13-0) is set to face Josh Emmett (18-3) in the main event of the UFC’s June 17 Fight Night card.
No venue, location, or broadcast plan has been announced for the event, which for Emmett will be his second headlining gig in the organization.
Topuria went 2-0 in 2022, picking up wins over Jai Herbert (in a lightweight bout) and Bryce Mitchell, tapping the American at UFC 282 in December. Both wins saw Topuria pick up a Performance of the Night bonus.
The German-born Georgian-Spanish fighter has now won five fights under the UFC banner. He also found time last year to get dragged into a rivalry with British star Paddy Pimblett, though it seems the pair simply aren’t destined to fight at this point.
Topuria is ranked #9 in the featherweight division, while Emmett stands at #5.
Emmett will enter the match-up off a loss to Yair Rodriguez for the promotion’s interim bantamweight title, which came at UFC 284 in Australia last month. That submission defeat snapped a five-fight win streak the Team Alpha Male fighter had compiled, one that included wins against Calvin Kattar and Shane Burgos, among others.
Though no location has been officially announced, a handful of fights have now been reported for the UFC’s June 17 event. They are:
- Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria
- Jimmy Flick vs. Alessandro Costa
- Tereza Bledá vs. Gabriella Fernandes
