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Kevin Vallejos knows he’s in for a battle in his first UFC main event.
Vallejos (17-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) gets the biggest opportunity of his career on Saturday when he faces longtime featherweight contender Josh Emmett (19-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a five-round main event at the UFC APEX (Paramount+). Despite the magnitude of the matchup, Vallejos says he’s embracing the challenge.
“It’s a huge challenge and I love fights like this,” Vallejos told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I’m a big fan of Josh, so it’s also an honor to fight someone who’s such a legend in the sport.”
At 23, Vallejos will be one of the youngest fighters ever to headline a UFC event, facing a massive age gap against Emmett, who is 41. But despite the difference, Vallejos doesn’t believe the veteran has lost a step.
Vallejos believes Emmett still carries serious power and durability, which is why he expects a grueling fight that could go the full five rounds.
“I do think I can knock him out – I’m not going to say I can’t,” Vallejos said. “This is MMA. Anything can happen. He can knock me out, I can knock him out. But honestly, I feel like this is going to be a dream come true. I want one of those dirty, bloody wars for five rounds where we’re just going at each other. That’s pretty much what I’m expecting.”
If Vallejos gets the job done, he could break into the top 15 of the featherweight division and set himself up for even bigger fights. Still, he’s not looking past the challenge in front of him – especially knowing the damage a five-round battle can bring.
“If I come out of this fight with injuries, of course I’ll want to keep fighting,” Vallejos said. “But taking a break wouldn’t be a bad thing either. I feel like my body might need it after this one.”
