Former lightweight contender Michael Johnson (19-13, 8 KOs, 2 SUBs) will meet Josh Emmett (13-2, 4 KOs, 2 SUBs) at UFC on ESPN 2 on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Michael Johnson is one of those guys that has faced many of the sport’s biggest stars, having stepped into the cage with the likes of Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje. Unfortunately, “The Menace” is best known for not only coming up short against elite talent, but throwing away scraps he was winning.
After losing four of his last five fights at 155 pounds, Johnson decided to try his luck at featherweight. His debut did not go as planned, as he was submitted by the ultra-tough Darren Elkins after handily winning the first. But he’s bounced back nicely, with two wins over Andre Fili and Artem Lobov. This Saturday, he’ll step back into the cage against the No. 10 Josh Emmett.
Emmett is best known for scoring a stunning upset knockout of longtime contender Ricardo Lamas. For a brief second, it looked like there was another legitimate player at 145 pounds. But in his last outing he was elbowed into oblivion by Jeremy Stephens. Now, we’ll have a much better idea of his place at featherweight.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best online betting options. Live UFC betting is also available between rounds during the fight, just in case you want to hedge any of your previous plays.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Michael Johnson -120
Josh Emmett -110
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -135 / -105
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Johnson 4.31 / Emmett 3.89
Accuracy: Johnson 38% / Emmett 1.9
Absorbed per minute: Johnson 3.96 / Emmett 3.64
Defense: Johnson 58% / Emmett 63%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Johnson 0.59 / Emmett 1.9
Accuracy: Johnson 45% / Emmett 52%
Takedown defense: Johnson 77% / Emmett 50%
Submission average: Johnson 0.1 / Emmett 0.2
Bet this UFC Fight at BookMaker.eu
Johnson might be supremely talented, but his fight IQ has to be questioned. Armed with some of the quickest hands in the business, he can light dudes up with frightening speed and accuracy. Nate Diaz, an excellent boxer, and Justin Gaethje, an awesome kickboxer, had serious problems dealing with those hands. He’s also one of the few people to knock out the durable Dustin Poirier.
But for some reason, he decided to get into brawls with Diaz and Gaethje, and ended up getting knocked out. Johnson has the tools to slug, but he’s gotten out-toughed more often than not by grittier opponents. Of course, it takes an extremely hard noggin and some serious mental focus to survive his onslaught in the first place.
Emmett is still relatively new into his MMA career, though he’s already 34. Though he’s just 5’6”, he’s an absolute unit at 145 pounds, having formerly fought at lightweight. With his collegiate wrestling background, he fits right in at Team Alpha Male, who has developed yet another strong MMA wrestler with bobbing striking game. We’ve seen the knockout power, but he was outclassed on the feet by Jeremy Stephens. He’s still got some learning to do.
UFC Odds Pick: Johnson to win at -120
Any time you go with Johnson, there are a lot of risks. Will Johnson mentally check out again? Will he abandon a working gameplan? However, given that he’s won two straight against solid opponents, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt here. Emmett will not be able to handle Johnson’s boxing, nor should be able to penetrate Johnson’s 77% takedown defense.
Alternate UFC Odds Pick: Fight does not go to decision at -105
If you feel tentative about picking a winner, the alternative is to bet that this fight doesn’t go to decision. Both men are highly aggressive and have the power to end the night early.
Bet on UFC odds online at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC Fight Night 148 takes place on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The card airs live starting 5pm PDT.
