Every tattoo on a fighter’s body tells a story, but for UFC veteran Josh Emmett, his ink is a roadmap of his life’s journey. From a tribute to his wife to a piece of art he instantly regretted, Josh Emmett’s tattoos tell the story of his life both in and out of the Octagon.

He’s 41 years old, but Josh Emmett is still going strong as a veteran in the UFC featherweight division—quite unusual for fighters his age. The veteran fighter is back for some action again, scheduled to take on Kevin Vallejos at UFC Vegas 114 this weekend. With the promotion coming back to the Apex in Las Vegas, the 145-lbs duo will close the show with their headliner fight.

‘CC0’ is one of those fighters in the UFC who seem to love tattoos. While he hasn’t inked his body quite like Jordan Vucenic, for example—who’s got his whole body covered up—Emmett has a few noticeable tattoos. Let’s break down the meaning behind the UFC veteran’s tattoos.

What do Josh Emmett’s tattoos mean?

Like we’ve mentioned already, Josh Emmett does have some glaring tattoos, starting with a skull on his left bicep, which also has the words ‘World Tour’ inscribed on it. While there’s no information available on it, the tattoo could stand for one of Emmett’s favorite musical artists, or perhaps a band. But then again, it could also signify the UFC star’s love for traveling. Meanwhile, Emmett seems to have a love for Hawaiian culture, as he’s got a Tiki mask inked on his chest.

“The tiki mask is a picture from the Big Island [Hawaii],” Josh Emmett revealed on his website. 

The 41-year-old also has some other tattoos, including a small bomb on the wrist of his right hand. He even has a clownfish tattoo, which he claims he got done long before the movie ‘Finding Nemo’ was made. 

“It’s not Nemo! Hahaha! It’s still really bright, but it was even more so 15+ years ago,” Emmett added.

Josh Emmett also appears to be a firm believer in the concept of brotherhood since he’s got the Brothers Are Forever poem, published by Family Friend Poems, tattooed on his ribcage. And perhaps the most important of them all, the featherweight star also has the letter ‘V’ tattooed on his forearm, which is the initial of his wife’s name, Vanessa.

There are other tattoos that Josh Emmett has, which the featherweight opened up about. Let’s take a look at those.

Josh Emmett reveals the inspiration behind his tattoos

Josh Emmett has a love for Japanese culture and has cherry blossom, lotus flower, and water inked on his body. It seems like those were his first tattoos, and guess what? Luckily for Emmett, he got his tattoos done by his favorite artist across the United States. For that, he didn’t have to look too far, because the tattoo artist, Bill Liberty, stayed near his house.

“I was a big fan of Japanese art, and Bill Liberty has been around forever, one of the best tattoo artists in the country, that happens to live near me,” Josh Emmett further stated on his website. “It’s cherry blossom flower, lotus flower, and water.” 

It seems like Emmett has no regrets when it comes to his tattoos. He got his first when he became an adult, and has plans in the future for a unique tattoo as well.

“I was pretty young, got the first on my 18th birthday. Got most of them when I was younger. I eventually want sleeves, with my right arm color, and my left black and gray, but still thinking of a unique concept,” Josh Emmett added.

Apart from that, Emmett also has a mixture of tattoos on his right shoulder, which he is seemingly not proud of. 

I have nine tattoos,” said “CC0” during an interview with UFC. “My very first tattoo. I want to say it was one of the clowns on the right shoulder blade. I got my last name tattooed down my tricep, and that wasn’t bad. But I wanted to be creative. So I was like, ‘Can you put a split like I wanted to, like paint?’ 

So it looked like some graffiti. It was the stupidest thing that I have ever seen. It looked like someone shot me with a paintball gun, and I was so pissed as soon as I got up and I looked in the mirror, and I was like, ‘Oh God, what did I do?’”

So, that’s how interesting the tale about Emmett’s tattoos is. That said, the 41-year-old now stands on a two-fight losing streak. Heading into the fight against Kevin Vallejos, he would look to maximize the opportunity to shut down the young prodigy.

That said, who do you think wins between the two this weekend at UFC Vegas 114? Let us know in the comments below!