Emmett (18-2) attacked Kattar (23-6) with winging right hands and body shots over the course of a back-and-forth five-round fight. All three judges' scorecards were close. Two officials awarded the 145-pound fight 48-47 to Emmett, who went in as the betting underdog. A third saw it 48-47 for Kattar.
Although the fight was undoubtedly close, producing a wide range of fan scores on social media, Emmett said he was confident about the result. Current champion Alexander Volkanovski is scheduled to defend his belt against Max Holloway at UFC 276 on July 2 in Las Vegas, and Emmett demanded a chance to face the winner.
Saturday's contest basically played out like a boxing match, as neither featherweight looked to utilize leg kicks or takedowns. Kattar's best weapon was his jab, which he consistently landed throughout the fight. He opened a cut over Emmett's left eye with the jab early, and opened it further with an elbow in the fourth round.
Emmett, of Sacramento, did his best work at short range. He effectively went to Kattar's body during the middle rounds and forced him backward at times with the overhand right. Even when Kattar blocked the shots, they had visible weight behind them.