The UFC on ESPN 11 co-main event between Josh Emmett and Shane Burgos figured to be a referendum on which of the two is destined to become a real factor in the featherweight division.

But after the duo threw down for 15 minutes in a battle, it’s clear that both will be forces to be reckoned with at 145 pounds for some time to come.

After two tightly contested rounds, Emmett (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) pulled away in the third to seal a unanimous decision at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, earning a pair of 29-28 scores and a 29-27 for his third consecutive victory.

“He fought me super well, he’s a tough guy, and I wish him nothing but the best,” Emmett said of his foe. “All the respect in the world.”

The tone was dictated in the opening round. Burgos (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) moved forward, kept up the pressure, and mixed up his punches and kicks. Emmett, for his part, is a power puncher, and he landed hooks and uppercuts over and over. Burgos apparently has a chin made of concrete, as he absorbed blow after blow and came back for more.

Emmett appeared to hyper-extend a knee early in the first round, and after the bout indicated he believed he tore his ACL. But he fought through it, as the duo continued the furious pace into the second round.

While you could make a case for either fighter in the first two rounds, the third was Emmett’s time to shine. He dropped Burgos with a left hand early. After Burgos got back up, he landed a kick to the groin. But Emmett wasn’t fazed there, either, and he picked up the pace and never gave Burgos an opening to get back into the fight from there.

With his eighth career decision win, Emmett now has won six of his past seven fights. Burgos had a three-fight winning streak snapped, as he dropped a decision for the first time in his career.

Up-to-the-minute results from UFC on ESPN 11:

• Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
• Raquel Pennington def. Marion Reneau via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jim Miller def. Roosevelt Roberts via submission (armbar) — Round 1, 2:25
• Bobby Green def. Clay Guida via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Tecia Torres def. Brianna Van Buren via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Marc-Andre Barriault def. Oskar Piechota via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:50
• Gillian Robertson def. Cortney Casey via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:32
• Justin Jaynes def. Frank Camacho via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:41
• Lauren Murphy def. Roxanne Modafferi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Austin Hubbard def. Max Rohskopf via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00