Kevin
Vallejos wants to avenge the lone career defeat that delayed
his
Ultimate Fighting Championship signing.
Advertisement
Vallejos earned a UFC contract on Tuesday with a first-round
technical knockout win over the previously undefeated Cam Teague
at
Dana White’s Contender Series. However, this wasn’t the
Argentine prospect’s first appearance on the Contender Series.
Vallejos suffered his only pro loss via unanimous decision against
streaking UFC featherweight Jean Silva
in September 2023. Vallejos then racked up consecutive stoppage
wins on the regional circuit to earn another shot on the Contender
Series, where he made a strong impression. While “El Chino” is
ready to fight anybody the UFC offers for his debut, he wants his
shot at redemption against Silva at some point.
“I’m an employee of this company and I will fight wherever they ask
me to… There’s a revenge that I think I should get and I want
that,” Vallejos said during a post-fight media scrum. “But listen, whenever
I’m called, wherever I’m called, whoever is the opponent, I will be
there. But believe me, that revenge, I want that shot.”
Silva has racked up three consecutive stoppage wins in the UFC
after making his debut this past January. The Brazilian’s stock
really skyrocketed after he made a two-week turnaround from a
stoppage win over Charles
Jourdain to score a “Fight of the Night” doctor stoppage win
over Drew
Dober at lightweight this past July. Silva’s UFC success
combined with the fact that Vallejos is the only guy “Lord” didn’t
finish comes as a sense of relief to the new UFC signee. While the
‘L’ on his record still hurts, Vallejos is glad for lessons it
taught him.
“There is a bit of a relief,” he said. “Jean Silva’s been really
good in this company. We’re talking about putting out three
straight wins. “We’re talking about somebody that actually won in a
different division that wasn’t even his. Company keeps giving him
fights… It stings a little bit because I came here and all of a
sudden you have that loss on your record. It stays with you out
there. But I am thankful for the fact that that loss showed me
things that were missing. I came back there, I worked, I got
better, I improved, I got a second chance, I went there and I
won.”
While he wants a rematch against Silva, Vallejos admits that might
not be plausible immediately considering they’re at different
stages in their career. Vallejos believes he needs a few more
outings to get used to UFC competition and hopes Silva rises to
title contention by then.
“I know we’re at different moments… [I] hope he gets a shot at the
title. If he continues to do what he’s doing, he may get a shot,”
Vallejos said. “Again, we’re in different stages. I feel maybe I
could get three fights in this organization to feel ready, to get
better. But the objective is there, is to get Jean Silva.”