Kevin Vallejos wasn’t in a rush to get to the top of the featherweight division, but after knocking out Josh Emmett in vicious fashion in the UFC Vegas 114 main event, he probably doesn’t have any other choice now.
That said, the 24-year-old prospect, who moved to 4-0 in the UFC with his latest win, vowed to do whatever it takes to make an unforgettable impression with his career in the octagon. He may be labeled as the next big thing but Vallejos wants to earn his place among the best featherweight
fighters in the world — and he’ll go through anyone to prove it.
“I’m here to leave my mark,” Vallejos said in his UFC post-fight interview. “I’m here for my name to be etched in this division. I came to do things. To [create] an image. To stomp my foot and to do something with this division and to be a champion.
“I want to tell people that I belong here, not that I’m just a boy, a baby that came in here and maybe is being fast tracked to success.”
Vallejos admitted after his win that he walked into the cage with a few extra nerves because he was facing an opponent in Emmett, who he grew up watching before he even dreamed about competing in the UFC. He also knew Emmett packed a serious punch and he was capable of going to war with anybody, which included taking Ilia Topuria to a five-round decision when they met in 2023.
In the end, Vallejos had nothing to worry about because he put on a nearly flawless performance, outlanding Emmett by a ridiculous 42-2 margin in strikes before finishing the fight with a vicious knockout in the opening round.
“It’s a dream come true so I’m very happy,” Vallejos said. “It was a lot. I have to tell you, I was a bit nervous this week. Because a lot was riding behind this. There were a lot of people behind me. A lot of people supporting me, sending messages, everything. I was really surprised with all the support I got from Chile, from Uruguay, from everywhere not just Argentina, so I was very happy.
“A lot of people were behind me on this one so I’m very happy for all of them. To give them a great show and also for my family and very happy with the win.”
The win not only moved Vallejos to 4-0 in the UFC while likely earning a spot in the top 15 rankings, but he’s also going home with an extra $100,000 after being rewarded with a Performance of the Night bonus.
It’s actually his second post-fight bonus in a row but a first under the new format where fighters are earning $100,000 for Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night, which started in 2026. Vallejos was understandably excited to hear that news but don’t expect him to start blowing the money just because he can.
Instead, Vallejos says he wants to invest the money for his future both financially and when it comes to his fight career with hopes to build a gym near his home in Argentina.
“First and foremost, I’m going to buy some food,” Vallejos said with a smile. “Of course, obvious but also listen, I want to invest the money. I want that money to grow but there’s one thing I want to do is build a gym in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
“I want to do something, I want to get something that was never done before, to actually have a full camp out there. I want to give it a little grain of sand to this project, to having new techniques, having new equipment, having new skills developed out there and a little gift to Argentina so we can grow MMA down there.”
