Analysis: Josh Emmett's brawling style may not work against elite strikers

A detailed analysis of Josh Emmett's recent performance suggests that while his aggressive, crowd-pleasing style secured victory over Curtis Blaydes, it may prove problematic against elite strikers like Alex Pereira or Sergei Pavlovich. The analyst notes Emmett's striking power remained strong even into the third round of the grueling fight, showing improved variety including effective elbow work. Emmett demonstrated high-level takedown defense, easily stuffing Blaydes' wrestling attempts, which was attributed to coaching from Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. However, the piece emphasizes that Emmett's reckless approach of absorbing numerous strikes fits well with the entertainment preferences of Dana White and the Trump administration, but could lead to a knockout loss against top-tier strikers. The analyst expressed concern that in a potential matchup with Derrick Lewis, Emmett would likely maintain this high-risk style rather than fight more tactically.