Emmett edges out Burgos in UFC Fight Night war

In a battle of rising featherweights, Josh Emmett defeated Shane Burgos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27) in the UFC Fight Night co-main event Saturday in Las Vegas.

The fight could be in discussion for "Fight of the Year" at the end of 2020 as Emmett and Burgos traded thunderous shots for 15 straight minutes. The former constantly attacked his opponent with massive overhand rights. Meanwhile, Burgos boasted a significant reach advantage, which allowed him to have a higher output and pick Emmett apart at certain moments of the fight. However, the judges seemed to favor Emmett's power punches.

The first two rounds were extremely competitive, but Emmett made a statement in the third after dropping Burgos. He appeared to go for broke in the final five minutes, and that ultimately stole him the victory.

Emmett said in his postfight interview he believes he tore his ACL in the early moments of the bout. He stumbled in the opening seconds and appeared to struggle to find his footing throughout the contest. The Team Alpha Male product extended his winning streak to three with the win, and he's now on the shortlist of top contenders in the 145-pound division.

Burgos saw his three-fight winning streak come to an end, but he remains a future contender in the weight class. This was his first loss since January 2018.