Ilia Topuria to fight Josh Emmet at UFC Fight Night on June 17th

Ilia Topuria has been handed the biggest opportunity so far in his UFC career

According to a report from KOImenero, Georgia's Topuria (13-0) is scheduled to headline his first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on June 17, 2023, against recent interim Featherweight championship challenger Josh Emmett (18-3). The venue for the UFC Fight Night event has not yet been chosen.

When Topuria faced Bryce Mitchell on the main event of UFC 282 this past December 2022, he shone brightest on his biggest stage. "El Matador" defeated "Thug Nasty" all over the place in just two rounds, eventually choking him with an arm-triangle hold. After the match, Topuria demanded a match with two-time championship challenger Brian Ortega, but "T-City" isn't fully healthy, which may be the reason for his new opponent.

Emmett will attempt to recover from his first title defeat, which occurred in February 2023. In his match for the interim championship at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, Emmett battled Yair Rodriguez. Emmett, a 145-pound knockout artist, was unsuccessful thanks to a second-round triangle choke submission.