Josh Emmett preparing for a ’15-minute war’ against Dan Ige at UFC 269 but hopes for a KO win to cement himself as a title contender

Josh Emmett is excited to finally get back into the Octagon.

Emmett tore his ACL in the opening seconds of his June 2020 win over Shane Burgos. Since then he has been rehabbing and had other setbacks. During that time, Emmett admits he didn’t know how he would be when he was able to return.

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“It was a tough road, I have had a lot of injuries but this knee injury I went through has to be at the top of the list. It wasn’t the initial surgery, it was that I had to go in and do multiple things, just a lot of issues,” Emmett said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I have been busting my ass for 15 months straight, but a few months ago everything clicked that I was able to start doing wrestling, grappling, everything, and getting back to my athletic style and using a lot of movement. For a while, I didn’t know if I’d ever get back to where I was at.”

Once he began to train at full strength, he was ready to fight and was offered Arnold Allen at UFC 269. Yet, Allen wasn’t medically ready to fight on the pay-per-view card which allowed Dan Ige to take the fight which Emmett is excited for.

The Team Alpha Male product in Emmett knows this is a fan-friendly fight against Ige and is excited for this to be his return to the Octagon.

“I see a lot of similarities in us, we are pretty similar in styles. It’s going to be a hell of a matchup and I think the fans are more excited for this matchup than the would’ve been for Arnold Allen… I have nothing but respect for Ige and I just know it will be a tough fight,” Emmett said. “He’s so durable, he’s good everywhere, never been finished. It’s going to be tough. We are both going to come forward, meet in the center of the Octagon and we will see who can take more damage, who can inflict more damage, and who has the bigger heart.”

Against Dan Ige, Josh Emmett expects this will be a striking battle and knows the Hawaiian is as durable as they come. With that, he is expecting this to be a 15-minute war but his goal is to get a knockout.

“I’m always prepared for a 15-minutes war. I hope it doesn’t go that long. But, he has had so many fights and he’s never been finished,” Emmett explained. “Of course, that is a goal of mine (to finish him). I’ve fought a lot of people who have never been finished or knocked out and I was able to do so.”

If Emmett does finish Ige he knows it would be massive for his career. He would be the first person to finish the Hawaiian which he believes should put him in a title eliminator fight.

“He has been fighting the best guys and has beat a lot of top guys,” Emmett said. “I feel like if I can go out there and have a spectacular performance and make a big statement, I’m right back in the mix and possibly one win away from fighting for the title.”

Do you think Josh Emmett will beat Dan Ige at UFC 269?