UFC featherweight Josh Emmett ended his 2017 campaign in style. 

The Team Alpha Male prospect stepped up to fight perennial top featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas on short notice at UFC Winnipeg, a fight many felt he had little chance of winning. 

Despite his underdog status, Emmett capitalized on the opportunity by knocking Lamas out cold in the first round with a perfectly placed left hook.

“I just knew it was over,” Emmett told FloCombat. “As soon as I connected I could feel — I don't know, it's different. Sometimes when you hit someone so hard, I could feel the punch through my glove into my knuckle and I just knew. I looked and he had fallen straight over and that's why I just walked away. 

"There was no need to hit him while he was already out.”

Emmett scored the biggest win of his career and launched himself into the top five of the featherweight division, landing at No. 4 currently. 

But you wouldn’t gather that by listening to him talk. 

“It was another fight to me,” Emmett said. “I feel like I've been fighting my whole life. I've been fighting for a while. It feels the exact same like, nothing's changed. I went on vacation with my wife to go see my little brother in Italy afterward for Christmas and New Year's and came back home and got right back in the gym. 

"The only difference is I have a No. 4 next to my name now.”

Emmett jumped from unranked to fourth in his division in the span of one fight. Much like with the victory, Emmett’s reaction to seeing his new spot in the rankings didn’t change much for him either. He's been there, done that. 

“To me, I've competed, I've wrestled my whole life," Emmett said. "I've upset the No. 4-ranked guy in the country in college. Ranking means absolutely nothing to me. I guess the only good thing about it is as you win fights, you get closer to the title. That's what they're there for. Anyone can lose on any given day. 

“For me, it's now or never,” Emmett continued. “I'm older, I got in the game later than most. So I believe I'm one of the best fighters in the world so I want to fight the best and I don't have time to climb the ranks. That's why I took that Lamas fight because I knew it would put me right where I'm at [now] and then I'm a fight away from a title shot.”

After beating Lamas, Emmett faces longtime contender Jeremy Stephens on Feb. 24 in the main event of UFC on Fox 28 in Orlando, Florida. The fight is an important one for Emmett, as he could potentially be next in line for a title shot.

“It's going to be a tough fight," Emmett said. “This is going to be the biggest fight of my career to date. I think it's going to be my toughest opponent so far too. He's a legend of the sport. He's been in the UFC almost 11 years. He has over 40 pro fights, 27 of them coming in the UFC. 

"He's fought the who's who at '45 and '55, so I'm looking to go out there and perform extremely well again and come out with another victory.”

Emmett believes the two men actually share several similarities in their respective fighting styles.

“I think I match up great with Stephens,” Emmett said. “The only thing is, it's going to be more similar to me fighting myself. I feel like we both come from a wrestling background, both have [a] good ground [game] but people haven't got to see too much. We both have good striking, we're both extremely powerful and explosive. 

"And we're going to find out who hits harder on February 24.”

The fight boasts major title implications. With both men currently on winning streaks, the victor could certainly find himself next in line for chance at gold. 

“I believe it [a win] does [lead to a title shot],” Emmett said. “I feel like this is the title eliminator right here. Like I said, Stephens is a pioneer, a legend of the sport, he's fought the who's who. He's climbing the ranks and I feel like the winner of us gets a title shot. We're both coming off of impressive wins; we're both in the top 10. 

"After I beat Stephens, the UFC, the fans — they won't be able to deny me that title shot.”

Emmett isn’t sure exactly how he’ll get the job done. All he knows is his hand will be raised. 

“I'll be 14-1 and I'll be fighting for the title next," he said. 

By Lucas Grandsire