Josh Emmett thinks he was the 'clear choice' for UFC 284 interim title fight

Josh Emmett, the highly ranked UFC featherweight, has expressed his belief that he was the "clear choice" for the interim title fight at UFC 284. The California native, who holds an impressive record of 18 wins and 2 losses, has been making waves in the featherweight division and has been calling for a title shot for some time.

Emmett, Yair Rodriguez, and Arnold Allen were in a three-way competition for the interim featherweight title contest when the current champion Alexander Volkanovski decided to switch to lightweight to pursue double-division champion status. After a series of events, the company chose Emmett and Rodriguez to headline the co-main event of UFC 284 on Saturday at the RAC Arena.

“I thought I was a clear choice,” Emmett told reporters at media day. “If you look at my win record, the streak I’m on, the actual opponents I’ve beaten in the top 10, top five, I thought for sure I was next. Allen and Yair were thrown into the mix. It is what it is. Who knows what would have happened?”

However, Emmett's claims have been met with some skepticism from fans and experts, who point out that other featherweights in the division may also be deserving of a title shot. Some have argued that the interim title fight should go to a fighter with a longer winning streak or a more dominant record.

Emmett had the potential to shake up the featherweight division and made a strong case for a title shot. But the #7 ranked featherweight Calvin Katter believes that he would have been there instead of Emmett for the shot for the gold strap. Unluckily, Katter lost to Arnold Allen via TKO at the very start of the 2nd round. With torn ACL, he is expected to sit out until 2024 and it would be easy for him to watch the co-main event at UFC 284.

After switching to the UFC's featherweight division, Emmett has won seven out of his last eight meetings and has five successive wins overall. The Team Alpha Male fighter defeated Calvin Kattar by a split decision in his last outing, although the outcome was highly criticized.

Regardless of whether Emmett gets the interim title or not, one thing is for sure - the featherweight veteran is a fighter to watch in the coming months. Despite his age, Emmett has still got somewhere in his body which can make a big difference in the division.