UFC Austin ended up being a great event as the card featured many knockouts. The main event between Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett was a fitting clash to end the exciting Texas-based event. Emmett walked away with the nod from the judges but many disputed the scorecards, arguing that Kattar had done enough to earn the win. Regardless, both men are going to be looking for big fights next and there are plenty of matchups available.
Josh Emmett now has five wins in a row and has officially found himself in UFC title contention. His win over Ricardo Lamas back in December 2017 set him up for a big opportunity but a crushing loss to Jeremy Stephens set him back. Illegal blows in the fight resulted in him missing a significant amount of time due to injuries, including vertigo and a concussion. Since then, the California-based fighter has racked up impressive wins over Michael Johnson, Dan Ige, and now Calvin Kattar. The next fight is going to be a very big one for Emmett.
Calvin Kattar is in a strange spot after losing a fight many argue he should have won. His performance at UFC Austin was excellent and he's still going to be at the top of the featherweight division. His wins at the top include a nasty knockout over Jeremy Stephens and boxing clinics over Dan Ige and Giga Chikadze. The Massachusetts native was very close to a title shot but a tough loss to Max Holloway forced him to take a step back and rebuild. Losing to Josh Emmett is going to set him back quite a bit but he still has some fun options ahead of him.
Fights To Make Next
Josh Emmett
Josh Emmett deserves a big fight next after UFC Austin. He called for a title shot next and he's certainly not far from it. That's why it's the right fight to book for him. Calvin Kattar is a top-5 contender at featherweight and a win over him is very impressive. The rest of the top of the division is currently booked with Brian Ortega set to fight Yair Rodriguez. Chan Sung Jung just lost his title fight in April and Kattar obviously just lost to Emmett. Emmett should fight the winner of Max Holloway vs Alex Volkanovski. The title fight is set for UFC 276 in July and the timing lines up perfectly for all the men involved.
Josh Emmett has been racking up big wins at featherweight and his title shot would be well deserved. If not for the title shot, what options are there for Emmett? Arnold Allen has been talked about but the Englishman is ranked outside of the top 5 and is very inactive, fighting about once a year. Chan Sung Jung could have potentially been an option but the fight doesn't make sense in the title picture. The winner of Max Holloway vs Alex Volkanovski will be hoping for a fresh matchup and that's exactly what they would get in Emmett. Book it.
Calvin Kattar
Calvin Kattar is going to have to build himself back up after losing an important fight at UFC Austin. It was very close and many felt he should have won but a loss is still a loss. The featherweight division is in a bit of a weird spot but there are some fun options for him. Chan Sung Jung, Arnold Allen, and Movsar Evloev are all names that spring to mind at featherweight. The idea is for the fight to make sense for both men and have some sort of effect on the title picture. Jung looks to be at the end of his career and won't be looking for title-contending fights. So that leaves either Arnold Allen or Movsar Evloev.
The pick for this one is Arnold Allen. Calvin Kattar deserves a fighter that is firmly in the top-10 and the matchup in this one is very exciting. Both men are strikers and the matchup would be perfect to main event a Fight Night card in England or anywhere else in the United States. Allen is still looking for a big win to prove he's a title contender and Kattar has reached the point in his career where he can take out younger contenders as he looks to climb back in the title picture. It's the right fight to book for both men. Book it UFC.
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