Last week at UFC Vegas 114, 24-year-old Vallejos earned praise across the MMA world after finishing veteran Josh Emmett in the first headlining fight of his career. ‘El Chino’ showcased sharp, composed boxing throughout the bout and quickly drew comparisons to UFC champion Ilia Topuria. In fact, he knocked Emmett out with just 90 seconds remaining in the opening round. The dominant performance marked a breakthrough moment and pushed commentators to compare the young prospect to the double champion.

Right now, ‘El Matador’ stands as a true boogeyman in the lightweight division and even in nearby weight classes. Over the past few years, he has put several legendary UFC fighters to sleep, including former champs like Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at 145 pounds. He later moved up to lightweight and finished Charles Oliveira, further strengthening his reputation in the MMA world. However, Ilia Topuria did not finish Emmett in their fight. Because of that, the result has now become a talking point after Vallejos’ knockout victory. Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling also weighed in on the comparison.

Ex-UFC champion sees shades of Ilia Topuria in Kevin Vallejos

“We had a great main event coming-out party for Kevin Vallejos,” said Aljamain Sterling on his YouTube channel. “Bro, talk about an Ilia Topuria blueprint, which was kind of fascinating. You know what really surprised me the most? The fight almost felt like the one between Ilia and Emmett. Super clean technique. Anytime Josh stepped into the pocket, he was slipping off the center line and landing something straight down the middle.

 “I felt like he did a good job of taking away the space, closing the distance without throwing anything, and forcing Josh to make the first move, then doing a great job with his counters off that. That’s pretty much my main takeaway from it. Obviously, the guy is very clean and very technical. Once he gets into boxing range, he does his best work. Very much like I said when I first watched him fight, he reminded me of Ilia Topuria.”

However, this is not the first time Aljo has noticed “shades” of ‘El Matador’ in Kevin Vallejos. Sterling also made a similar comparison last year.

Ilia Topuria and Josh Emmett met in the summer of 2023 in what turned into a largely one-sided contest. The Georgian-Spanish fighter outclassed Emmett across five rounds with sharp and precise striking. Emmett showed his toughness throughout the fight, but he struggled to respond to Topuria’s crisp boxing combinations. ‘El Matador’ dropped him once and continued to pressure him while controlling the pace on his own terms.

In the end, the judges scored the fight 50-44, 50-42, and 49-45 in Topuria’s favor. The performance served as a striking clinic and highlighted why many consider Topuria’s boxing among the best in MMA. Even respected boxing coach Teddy Atlas has praised his striking ability.

Meanwhile, the rise of Kevin Vallejos has started to shake up the featherweight division. Argentine media have labeled him the “Argentine Topuria” since last year, and his recent knockout of Emmett has only strengthened those comparisons. At the same time, Emmett’s age, now 41, remains part of the discussion when analysts evaluate the result.

Statistically, the comparison between the two fighters has also drawn attention. Vallejos holds an impressive 72 percent knockout rate, while Topuria has finished around 41 percent of his fights by knockout. Those numbers have fueled even more comparisons between them.

During the early part of his UFC career, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya drew comparisons to UFC legend Anderson Silva owing to their striking prowess on the feet. With that said, Vallejos is in the early stages of his career and does not appear eager to rush anything, even when it comes to a potential title opportunity.

Vallejos vows to make his mark in MMA

Kevin Vallejos didn’t get the start in the UFC system that he had hoped for. In 2023, contender Jean Silva outclassed him on Dana White’s Contender Series, which forced the Argentina native to wait another year for his next opportunity. When he returned, Vallejos made an immediate impact.

At Dana White’s Contender Series the following season, he knocked out Cam Teague in the first round, a performance that earned him a UFC contract. Since then, ‘El Chino’ has dominated. He now holds a 4-0 run and continues to build momentum inside the organization. Kevin Vallejos wants to carve out his own legacy in the sport, following in the footsteps of legends such as Jon Jones and Conor McGregor.

“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.”

Even so, Vallejos doesn’t want to rush his rise or take a fast track to the top. Nevertheless, many fans already consider him a chosen one in the division. What’s your take on Kevin Vallejos’ future in the division? Drop your thoughts below.