UFC Fight Night 155: De Randamie vs. Ladd - Predictions and Picks

#3 Josh Emmett vs. Mirsad Bektic

Can the talented Mirsad Bektic avoid the vaunted power of Josh Emmett?

This Featherweight clash is flying under the radar somewhat but it might be the best fight on this card; both men are incredibly dangerous and aggressive fighters and also fight largely with their hearts rather than their heads, meaning we should see some excitement for sure.

Emmett’s UFC career has been interesting thus far. He debuted as an undersized Lightweight and was able to pick up two wins before largely being picked apart by Desmond Green.

That loss triggered a move to 145lbs, where he’d fought prior to his UFC run, and ‘The Grim Reaper’ then dismantled Felipe Arantes before shocking the world with a vicious knockout of perennial contender Ricardo Lamas, on late notice to boot.

It hasn’t been plain sailing since then, though; a brawl with Jeremy Stephens ended badly, as Emmett was knocked silly with a series of vicious elbows, and when he returned earlier this year, he was being picked apart in a dull fight with Michael Johnson before a hail mary right hand knocked Johnson unconscious with just seconds remaining in the fight.

Essentially a classic wrestle-boxer, Emmett isn’t the best in the division in any area really; his wrestling is strong but not the greatest as he struggled to take Johnson down, and while he’s got crazy power in his hands, he’s a somewhat plodding striker who can be picked off. But of course, he does have that power and that’s the great equaliser for him.

Mirsad Bektic has been considered a prospect to watch for years now, and may have broken into the top 10 or 5 at 145lbs had he not been forced out of 3 fights with injuries.

A phenomenal athlete, the Bosnian native’s best asset is definitely his wrestling and ground-and-pound; once he gets top position he’s a monster, as we saw when he largely destroyed Darren Elkins on the ground at UFC 209 – but more on that fight in a second.

He’s also an aggressive and ever-improving striker, but in all honesty, this is largely due to his athletic ability; Bektic can suddenly attack at a pace few fighters can match, and while he’s not technically perfect he hits very hard and definitely carries power in his hands.

Weaknesses? It’s hard to really find any. Sure, Elkins pulled off an all-time great comeback to knock him out, but he’d been thrashed for the previous 10 minutes and most fighters would’ve wilted under Bektic’s assault by that stage.

I’d guess that the way to beat Bektic could be to push the pace, as he did slow down due to his explosive style in the Elkins fight, and basically gave away the third round in his own win over Lamas due to the same slowdown as well. But for me Emmett isn’t that kind of fighter; he’s more of a pot-shotting counterpuncher and isn’t known for his frenetic pace.

In my mind Bektic should win this fight; I’d say he’s superior in all areas to Emmett and it wouldn’t outright surprise me if this turns out to be a bit of a one-sided beating with Bektic coming out on top. But if he rushes in too wildly standing then Emmett almost certainly has the striking power to knock him out.

It depends on Bektic’s gameplan, for me. If the Bosnian can set up his takedowns using his strikes and speed advantage – which should allow him to close the distance on Emmett without eating something nasty – then I think the fight should be his.

It’s always risky betting against Emmett who has the power to win any fight, but I think this should be where we see the best of Bektic.

The Pick: Bektic via unanimous decision