When the night began, UFC veteran Josh Emmett was a +440 underdog in the fight against Kevin Vallejos. The latter, despite being a newcomer in the promotion, was a massive -600 favorite to win. And there were several good reasons for those odds. After all, Emmett was coming off two back-to-back losses and had lost four of his last five fights. That’s not all! 

At 41, Emmett’s days inside the cage seemed increasingly limited, and facing a fighter barely older than half his age hardly looked like a favorable matchup. When the bout began, the outcome quickly started to feel inevitable. Vallejos ultimately secured a first-round TKO win. But does this mark the end of the road for Emmett?

It’s the end of the line for Josh Emmett

In an ideal world, Josh Emmett would call time on his career following his latest defeat. However, if he chooses to continue, ‘CCO’ could end up serving as a stepping stone for fighters climbing from the lower end of the featherweight rankings. A matchup with No. 15-ranked David Onama could make sense in that regard.

Onama himself is coming off a loss to Steve Garcia last November. Pairing the two could give both fighters an opportunity to bounce back. Still, based on the performance Emmett delivered in his most recent outing, it might instead offer David Onama a chance to move further up the rankings if he wins.

Another option would be matching Emmett with the loser of the Patricio Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico bout scheduled for UFC 327. Either way, Emmett’s time in the sport appears to be running short. If he doesn’t choose to walk away on his own terms, the UFC could eventually make that decision for him—much like it did with Chris Barnett late last year.

But what does Emmett think? Does he plan on retiring anytime soon? 

Emmett has already shared his thoughts on retirement

Long before his fight tonight against Vallejos, in fact, even before his fight against Youssef Zalal and Lerone Murphy, Emmett had expressed his thoughts on retirement. Even though he is one of the oldest in the top 15 featherweights, he believes there’s plenty left in his tank.

Speaking in an April 2025 interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Emmett firmly shut down any suggestion that he will hang up his gloves. 

“Retirement is not even, there’s not even a question,” he said.

The veteran credited his longevity to the habits he developed growing up. He claims to have maintained a healthy lifestyle from an early age. Emmett also pointed to his strict recovery routines and professional approach to training as key reasons why he continues to compete at a high level.

“Like a good friend and mentor told me, I’m only 20 years old. I have 20 years [of] experience,” Emmett added. “So, I’m sticking to that, and I’m gonna be the Tom Brady of MMA.”

Tom Brady continued to compete in the NFL until the age of 45, which means Josh Emmett is planning to compete for a few more years.

However, how wise do you think that really is?