Josh Emmett’s first venture into the championship rounds proved to be a successful one.
In a closely-contested bout that played out primarily as a boxing match, Emmett (18-2, 9-2 UFC) captured a split-decision triumph against Calvin Kattar (23-6, 7-4 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 37 main event at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night. Judges Sal D’Amato and Chris Lee submitted 48-47 scorecards in favor of Emmett, while Douglas Crosby saw it 48-47 in favor of Kattar. Emmett’s five-bout winning streak is tied for the fourth-longest in the featherweight division.