Last night (Sat., March 14, 2026), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 114. In the main event, former title contender Josh Emmett looked to return to the win column opposite rising knockout artist Kevin Vallejos. No other names particularly popped off the page on the rest of the card, but if you looked closely, all of the matchups seemed to promise excitement. After the last few cards, action was just what the doctor ordered!
Let’s take
a look back over the best performances and techniques of the evening:
El Chino Arrives
Kevin Vallejos wasted no time in picking apart Josh Emmett, but he didn’t rush the knockout either.
Emmett tried to draw Vallejos forward by using lateral movement and direction changes, moving his feet in the style of cornerman TJ Dillashaw. Vallejos did not at all take the bait, however, opting to occasionally blast power kicks and force Emmett to make the first move. When Emmett did explode forward with a big swing or shifting combination, Vallejos would slide back half a step, plant his feet, and immediately answer with multiple punches.
It takes guts and confidence to stand in front of Emmett, especially so early in the fight. Vallejos — young, powerful, and nearly undefeated — has all the evidence in the world to fight with such confidence, and it absolutely paid off here. He smashed Emmett with hard shots right away, never letting the veteran work his way into the contest.
After this victory, Vallejos should break into the Top 10 with serious momentum.
Robertson Outlasts Lemos
Amanda Lemos started the co-main event strong. She did really good work in managing the distance against Gillian Robertson, sticking her with long jabs, open stance crosses, and some chopping kicks. When Robertson wrestled, Lemos’ physicality allowed her to land big (and probably illegal) elbows as well as reverse her way into top position.
Unfortunately for the Brazilian, relying on physicality isn’t a permanent answer, and Robertson is as gritty and determined as they come. She kept working her way into the shot, and Lemos just didn’t fight hands or apply overhooks properly. She continually tried to attack the neck or sneak away to the back, looking for a quick-fix answer to Robertson’s takedowns rather than applying classic wrestling fundamentals. As a result, Lemos wound up on her back, and her athleticism drained away. By the third, her punches weren’t nearly as terrifying, and Robertson was able to decisively control her on the canvas.
Robertson deserves credit as well, of course. Her top control was really slick, like when she combined the d’arce choke threat with elbows to keep her opponent trapped in no man’s land, Dricus du Plessis vs. Robert Whittaker style. She also did really good work controlling wrists to interrupt Lemos’ attempted stand ups and leave her stuck in the mud.
As a result of the decision win, Robertson has now won five in a row and just picked up the biggest scalp of her career. Maybe she faces fellow grappler and recent title contender Virna Jandiroba next? She’s definitely due for a Top Five opponent given her current win streak.
Featherweight Firefight
Marwan Rahiki vs. Harry Hardwick was an awesome scrap.
The first round was incredibly competitive and rather fun striking contest. Both men were active on the front foot and with counters, resulting in a lot of prolonged exchanges that saw big lands on both sides. Better yet, they were switching stances and actively kicking different targets as well, making for a lot of variety in a high-paced round. Generally, Hardwick was throwing a bit straighter and seemed to have a slight technical edge, but Rahiki could turn up the speed and power in a way his English foe simply couldn’t match.
The difference in athleticism paid off majorly in the second. Rahiki hurt Hardwick with a big shot and absolutely teed off, unloading with dozens of punches. Every time the referee started moving in, Hardwick would swing back … and half the time he would ding Rahiki right on the chin! Despite his efforts, however, the tide had clearly turned, and Hardwick took a massive amount of damage in the second frame.
Somehow, Hardwick never hit the canvas, but he did break his jaw. The fight was stopped between rounds, earning Rahiki a very fun debut victory. Despite the loss, Hardwick also gave a much better account of himself at his proper weight class with a full camp behind him, so hopefully he’ll get one more opportunity inside the Octagon after that display of grit.
Cutelaba Jumps The Gilly
Ion Cutelaba was surprisingly measured in his return to action versus Oumar Sy.
The two Light Heavyweights traded range kicks early, then Cutelaba initiated the early wrestling exchanges. After his early takedown, the grappling exchanges were actually a lot of fun! Sy played guard well and scored a reversal, but Cutelaba used his Greco-Roman wrestling background to re-roll the French talent. Back in top position, Sy continued to play an interesting mix of X-guard and attacking the legs — it’s rare to see such an advanced bottom game from an unranked big man!
Unfortunately for Sy, Cutelaba was still a step ahead. When Sy tried to wrestle up, Cutelaba stopped him in his tracks with a heavy sprawl and front headlock. His forearm slipped under the neck and “The Hulk” jumped on the guillotine, rolling his way into mount and securing a frantic tap. This was a quality win for Cutelaba, one that showcased his skill well. Despite all his experience, he’s still just 32 years old, so maybe hope lives that he can someday put it all together and become more than a mid-card scrapper?
Additional Thoughts
- Elijah Smith defeats SuYoung You via second-round rear naked choke (highlights): 23-year-old Elijah Smith might be one of the most exciting young talents on the whole roster. You entered this fight with a 3-o UFC record and started strong with his own wrestling, but Smith is incredibly dynamic. He turned the tide in an instant with a heavy shot in the second and went ballistic on offense, attacking with fast punches and a back take immediately. Just as he seemed to be getting too high on the back, Smith wrapped up the strangle and forced his foe back to the canvas, securing his third UFC victory.
- Manoel Sousa defeats Baloji Oki via third-round knockout (highlights): This was an absolute BANGER, one of the best undercard wars in recent memory. In the first two rounds, Oki managed to maintain a volume advantage and land some quality shots, but the power differential was significant … which is kind of crazy to say since Oki hits pretty dang hard! Sousa tanked his opponent’s punches without much issue and returned the favor with interest, stunning Oki multiple times in the process. The fight was still up for grabs in the closing frame, but it was Sousa who advanced behind massive swings. Eventually, he lined up the perfect connection, securing his debut victory with a nasty one-shot KO. “Manumito” is definitely a welcome addition to the Lightweight division!
- Bia Mesquita defeats Montse Rendon via first-round rear naked choke (highlights): Isn’t it great when a jiu-jitsu savant wastes little time and plays to their strength? In less than two minutes, Mesquita secured her second straight UFC win by taking her foe down, jumping the back, and locking in a strangle. At 34 years of age, Mesquita is not a young prospect exactly, but she’s one of very few unranked Bantamweights actually making noise on her way up the ladder. After another quick finish, it already might be time for a Top 15 opponent.
