Fact Check: What’s Wrong With Josh Emmett’s Torso?

As the UFC gears up for its return to Las Vegas after a brief hiatus, all eyes are on UFC Vegas 105’s main event. Featherweight contender Josh Emmett is back in action, and he’s bringing a fair share of intensity with him. The 40-year-old veteran is making his long-awaited return to the Octagon after more than 16 months away. Emmett last competed in December 2023 at UFC 296, where he scored a highlight-reel knockout over the ‘devout’ Bryce Mitchell.

Now, he’s back—and the UFC has loaded the card with yet another lineup of potential show-stealers. This time, Josh Emmett will take on the undefeated featherweight up-and-comer Lerone Murphy in the headliner at the UFC APEX. Murphy has been steadily climbing the ranks, and this clash has fans buzzing. But heading into the fight week, it’s not just the matchup making waves—it’s Emmett’s physique that sparked reactions online.

At Friday’s official weigh-ins, Emmett was the first fighter to step on the scale, easily making weight at 146 pounds. But what truly caught everyone’s attention was his ripped, yet oddly shaped, midsection. Former UFC middleweight Derek Brunson jumped in with a viral reaction on social media. Sharing a photo of Emmett on X, he wrote: “Josh Emmett shaped like a frozen pizza.”

Josh Emmett shaped like a frozen pizza pic.twitter.com/vWWiWjxJdy

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 5, 2025

Known for his intense discipline and brutal weight cuts, Josh Emmett reportedly walks around at around 184 lbs—essentially a middleweight—before cutting all the way down to featherweight. His cut to 146 lbs means dropping nearly 38 pounds, and it’s something he’s documented openly on social media. In one post last summer, Emmett revealed he lost around 10 pounds in just 13 days while doing a three-day water fast.

As for his abs? The asymmetrical look has stirred plenty of fan speculation. Some believe it’s down to genetics, which can become more pronounced during extreme dehydration. Others point to possible muscle imbalances or uneven fat loss from years of intense cutting. Sure, the uneven look might raise a few eyebrows, but it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong. Still, at 40, it’s fair to wonder if age is starting to show. Now that he’s well into the twilight of his career—what’s next for ‘CCO’? Time to hear it straight from the man himself.

Josh Emmett revealed his post-UFC plans

The newly launched Global Fighting League (GFL) is proving to be a blessing for veteran MMA fighters. Founded earlier this year in January by Darren Owen and Arun Parimi, the promotion kicked things off with its inaugural draft—assigning fighters to teams based on their cities. What sets GFL apart is its fighter-first approach. The compensation model includes key benefits such as health coverage, injury claims, a structured retirement fund, and a mandatory 50% revenue share with fighters.

It’s a lucrative deal on paper—and even more eye-catching when you realize that Tony Ferguson is set to debut with the GFL against Dillon Danis. Several former UFC stars have already jumped on board, including Lyoto Machida, Junior Dos Santos, and many other well-known names. And now, even Josh Emmett has teased a potential appearance under the GFL banner.

Speaking to the media this week, ‘CCO’ joked about taking a one-off fight with the promotion, saying: “I’m curious to see how that organization kind of pans out and plays out. But yeah, it seems like a lot of veterans, for sure, are fighting each other… So yeah, more power to them because… I know some of the pay that these guys are making and it’s ridiculous. I wish I could hop over and do one fight, then I’ll come back [to the UFC].”

Now, shifting the focus back to Josh Emmett and his physique—what’s your take on the shape of his torso? With such a significant gap between his walkaround weight and his fight weight, is the extreme cut starting to wear on his body? At this stage of his career, should Emmett think about moving up a weight class rather than putting himself through such harsh weight cuts? Share your thoughts below.

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