UFC on ABC tips: Ilia Topuria heavy favourite to maintain unbeaten record against Josh Emmett
![Ilia Topuria](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.planetsport.com%2Fimage-library%2Fland%2F700%2Fi%2Filia-topuria-ufc-9-dec-2022.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Ilia Topuria will be looking to put on another impressive display as he takes on Josh Emmett in his first fight of 2023.
Ilia Topuria returns to action for the first time since December when he takes on Josh Emmett in Jacksonville, Florida.
El Matador boasts an eye-catching 13-0 record, with 12 of those victories coming before the final bell.
The 26-year-old is powering up the UFC rankings and he can continue to climb with a victory over MMA veteran Emmett.
Topuria bagged 'performance of the night' in his last two UFC outings against Jai Herbert and Bryce Mitchell.
While Herbert was toppled by Topuria's punches, Mitchell was forced to submit after being placed in an arm-triangle choke at UFC 282.
Emmett, on the other hand, returns to the octagon for the first time since his defeat to Yair Rodriguez last February.
The 38-year-old was on a five-fight winning run before losing the UFC Featherweight Championship bout in Perth, Australia.
While Emmett boasts a wealth of experience, Topuria is the heavy favourite ahead of Saturday's fight.
The Georgian and Spanish fighter offers little value in the outright market. With that in mind, our recommendation is to back Topuria to pick up his ninth submission victory at around the 13/8 mark.