UFC Sacramento: Josh Emmett ‘going in for the kill’ in KO win over Mirsad Bektic

UFC Sacramento: Josh Emmett: ‘I’ve never lost a fight in Sacramento’ following KO win over Mirsad Bektic, wants top-three or top-five opponent next

Josh Emmett made quick work of Mirsad Bektic in Emmett’s hometown of Sacramento, CA, finishing Bektic by KO in the opening frame. Emmett was determined to win the fight despite Bektic entering the featherweight bout with back-to-back wins against Ricardo Lamas and Godofredo Pepey.

It has been a long road for the Team Alpha-Male product, who once fought for West Coast Fighting Championships and competed on the UFC’s last event to take place in Sacramento in December 2016.

”I wasn’t starting [to lose in Sacramento] tonight,” Emmett told media backstage. “Even though Mirsad is a tough, tough opponent, I have to get in there and feel out my opponent for myself. I have to get hit by them to see how powerful they are. I have to get in there to see how fast they are.”

After a feeling-out process that took the majority of the first round, Emmett landed a clean right hand, eventually finishing the fight.

“I just knew it was a matter of time,” Emmett said regarding the finishing strike. “I wasn’t gonna hesitate. I wasn’t gonna, you know, conserve energy. I was going in for the kill.”

Emmett has previously fought at Golden 1 Center twice prior to his July 13 encounter with Bektic, which, in his eyes, created a huge advantage between him and the fans.

“Sacramento has the best fans,” Emmett said with a smile. “I have a huge following, and I fight with Sacramento on my back and my shoulders. They motivate the hell out of me. They fuel the fire, so there was nothing [holding me back]. I was getting my hand raised no matter what I went through.”

Emmett plans to take some time off, as he is set to travel with his wife to Europe for a three-week trip. Emmett is glad to come out of the fight with no injuries, especially at the highest level of competition.

Emmett is never nervous when he steps into the Octagon, but whenever his teammates fight, he takes their bouts seriously.

“I’m sitting there, and my heart’s just racing, like uncontrollably,” Emmett said. “For me, I know what I signed up for.”

Emmett celebrated with teammate and UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Urijah Faber, who earned a first-round win in the co-main event against bantamweight prospect, Ricky Simon. Emmett credits Faber for embracing the sport for so long despite Faber’s age of 40 years old.

“[Faber] has done so much for the team, for the community, and he’s definitely someone’s footsteps who I’d like to follow,” Emmett said.

Emmett would prefer to fight someone in the top-three or top-five for his next bout. He was one of four fighters to receive a Performance of the Night bonus from the event.

UFC Sacramento took place on Saturday, July 13, 2019, live from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA.