Josh Emmett eyes Max Holloway fight after shocking KO win at UFC 296: ‘It would be an honor’

Off the back of his hellacious first round KO win over the highly-touted, Bryce Mitchell at UFC 296 over the course of last weekend, former interim featherweight champion, Josh Emmett has staked his claim for a title-eliminator clash with former titleholder, Max Holloway next.

Emmett, the current number six ranked lightweight contender, turned in a shocking victory at UFC 296 last Saturday night in Las Vegas, landing a thunderous opening round KO win over the above-mentioned Ultimate Fighter alum, Mitchell in the pair’s main card opener.

The victory snapped a two-fight losing run for Pheonix veteran, Emmett had been on the wrong side of a decision loss to incoming title chaser, Ilia Topuria earlier this summer, which following a February triangle choke submission loss to Yair Rodríguez in the pair’s interim title fight at UFC 284. 

For Holloway, the Hawaiian fan-favorite is currently riding a two-fight winning run – most recently landing a devastating third round KO win over veteran former title challenger Chan Sung Jung at UFC Singapore earlier this summer.

Prior to that, Holloway halted the run of British featherweight, Arnold Allen in a main event clash at UFC Kansas City back in April, and still holds the number one rank in the official featherweight rankings.

Josh Emmett welcomes fight with Max Holloway next

Weighing up his immediate fighting future off the back of his impressive knockout win over Mitchell, Emmett suggested a title-eliminator fight with former champion, Holloway in a return to action.

“He (Max Holloway) is the number one contender,” Josh Emmett told MMA Fighting of a fight with Max Holloway. “He’s cleared out pretty much everyone in the division and fought everyone in the featherweight division but myself.”

“It would be an honor to fight him,” Josh Emmett explained. 

Who wins in a potential fight: Max Holloway or Josh Emmett?