Josh Emmett: UFC pushing Kevin Vallejos 'a little too fast'

"It's gonna be a huge difference. I've been in there with some of the best fighters there are. And there's nothing that he's gonna do or show me that I haven't already seen. I give him all the respect in the world, tough kid. But I think they're pushing him a little too fast."

"Emmett has gone 10-6 in his decade-long UFC career so far. 'CC0' has faced the who's who at featherweight, leaving behind the likes of Calvin Kattar, Michael Johnson, Dan Ige, and Bryce Mitchell in his wake. Emmett is one of only two fighters to go the distance against lightweight champion Ilia Topuria."

"Vallejos suffered his lone career loss against current UFC featherweight contender Jean Silva in his first Dana White's Contender Series opportunity in 2023. Vallejos rebounded with a couple of wins to earn another Contender Series opportunity next year, where he earned his UFC contract with a first-round knockout win over Cam Teague."

Josh Emmett will headline UFC Fight Night 269 against Kevin Vallejos, a 24-year-old Argentinian fighter in his first UFC headliner. Emmett, 41, is 17 years older and believes his extensive experience facing top-tier competition gives him a significant advantage. Emmett has faced elite fighters including Calvin Kattar, Michael Johnson, and lightweight champion Ilia Topuria throughout his decade-long UFC career. He respects Vallejos as a tough competitor but contends that the promotion is pushing him too fast up the rankings. Vallejos has compiled three UFC wins, including a recent spinning-backfist knockout, but Emmett maintains there is nothing Vallejos can present that he hasn't already encountered.

Read at Sherdog