This Saturday in Perth, Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett battle it out at UFC 284. They both have their own paths to victory laying ahead of them. With interim gold on the line, both fighters have already made a name for themselves as divisional contenders. They now hope to face Alexander Volkanovksi upon his return to the division in a genuinely fascinating matchup.
Josh Emmett: Knockout Artist & Part-Time Body Banger
Despite some controversial wins as of late, Josh Emmett will be no less of a challenge for Rodriguez. A wrestle-boxer through and through, Emmett’s punches do most of the heavy lifting in his fights. His bomb of a right hand sends his opponents to the canvas in a heap, but it is sometimes changed up for a sneaky hook to the body. This is not to discount Emmett as a kicker, a disciple of lead low and high kicks.
Emmett utilises the right hand to find success in exchanges, countering kicks with punches and blitzing in for big overhands. Emmett should establish this power early against Rodriguez, whose boxing defence has shown to be lackluster at times. However, making Yair aware of this power not only serves to make him nervous in close exchanges; it also allows Emmett to hit his body.
Emmett’s aforementioned sneaky right hook to the body would be marvelous to see against Rodriguez if he begins to shell up in anticipation of these overhands. Commitment to hitting the body should pay dividends against Rodriguez who has consistently slowed across his 5-round bouts, and a tired fighter is a disadvantaged one.
As a fighter dedicated to overwhelming his adversary with kicks, slowing may be fatal for Rodriguez who not only loses output but also many of his better defensive habits. Against Max Holloway, for example, Rodriguez would open the fight with a high guard and crisper boxing than his previous outings. As the fight wore on and Holloway exhausted him with volume, Rodriguez’s hands would fall to his sides, backing up and looking to spin frequently. Against Emmett, this abandonment of defence may land him on the wrong end of a nasty overhand.
The Chances Of Wrestling
Much has been made of the wrestling in this bout due to Rodriguez’s difficulties on the bottom. A brutal defeat at the hands of Frankie Edgar showed a deficiency later capitalised upon by Jeremy Stephens and Max Holloway at times. That being said, Emmett is hardly a crushing grappler choosing to wrestle if the opportunity falls into his hands more than actively seeking takedowns. Emmett’s successful takedowns also don’t often result in sustained success, with his opponent returning to the striking realm rather quickly. Whilst this writer doesn’t believe that it will play an important role in the matchup, if Rodriguez tires and Emmett comes out in wrestling shoes there may be a path to victory for the Alpha Male contender.
Yair Rodriguez: Cleaning Up The Act
Yair Rodriguez’s place in the UFC Featherweight division was once as a crazy kicker first and a fundamentally sound fighter second. This is something that, to his credit, Rodriguez has been making considerable changes to recently. Once upon a time, his fight with Alex Caceres frustrated fans and analysts alike, his recent bout with Max Holloway impressed would-be critics even in a losing effort. His kicks, whilst not losing any of their unorthodoxies, have become more thought out than before with clear strategy and planning behind them. Atop his regular kicking game, Rodriguez’s comfort in closer-range exchanges has come a long way at least in the early portions of his fights.
Countering The Blitz
Something that has always been sound is Rodriguez’s use of an opponent’s own attacks against them. Most famously demonstrated against The Korean Zombie, Rodriguez baits his opponent into a chase. As they charge in on Rodriguez, head usually unguarded, he will spin for some kind of upwards or spinning elbow and catch them clean more often than not. Whilst not gifting the knockout on the notoriously durable Holloway, the technique was once again in full effect and landed nearly every time Rodriguez chose to show it.
Emmett, as a fighter who tends to chase his man down, becomes a mark for this strategy. If Rodriguez can catch Emmett with some of the strikes he caught Holloway with, let alone Zombie, he could very well be taking home interim gold early. It must, however, be noted that to make this work Rodriguez has to willingly put himself in serious danger against a known power puncher. If anybody would be confident in this gambit it would be the hardy Rodriguez, but it is a risk nonetheless.
Commitment To Kicking
Rodriguez’s calf kicks have always been one of his greatest weapons, as upset and send his opponents to the canvas at times. This should be a key feature of Rodriguez’s success on the feet vs the boxer in Emmett. Emmett’s wide stance and movement make him a mark for low kicks as Shane Burgos found, attacking him with counter kicks throughout their bout. The simple beauty of kicking a movement-heavy fighter is that one cannot check a kick whilst moving. Taking away Emmett’s legs has a multitude of benefits. With weakened legs, not only will Emmett’s power fade, but his ability to navigate exchanges will also become sloppier.
Closing Thoughts
This bout is a genuinely exciting showing of talent for the Featherweight division. Whilst neither fighter has looked unbeatable as of yet, both have their own niches. Whether the powerful boxing of Josh Emmett or the unorthodoxy of Yair Rodriguez takes gold, both fighters should impress.
Featured Image Credits to Embed from Getty Images
