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‘Future star’… 23-year-old debutant excites Michael Bisping, Dominick Cruz, and fans with first-round KO at UFC Vegas 104

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Curtis Calhoun | Last updated Mar 15, 2025 10:18 PM ET

23-year-old Kevin Vallejos needed three minutes to prove he belongs in the UFC cage.

Kevin Vallejos is one of a slew of top prospects rising up the ranks in the UFC featherweight division. But as Vallejos dealt with the inevitable stress and pressure associated with a UFC debut fight, he passed his first test in the Octagon with flying colors.

Vallejos and Seung Woo Choi clashed in a featherweight bout on the UFC Vegas 104 main card on Saturday at the Apex. After earning a contract via Dana White’s Contender Series in September, all eyes were on Vallejos to make a statement in his first Octagon appearance.

Vallejos entered the cage as a hyped favorite against the veteran Choi. He left the cage as a household name just minutes into his promotional tenure.

Kevin Vallejos compared to a UFC superstar after first-round KO in UFC debut

Vallejos dropped Choi with an overhand right just three minutes into the first round, finishing the bout with brutal ground-and-pound before referee Kerry Hatley intervened. He’s now won back-to-back fights by first-round knockout.

UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, and presumptive Hall of Famer Dominick Cruz, were floored by Vallejos’s highlight-reel finish. Bisping went as far as to declare Vallejos a ‘future star’ for fight fans to keep their eyes on in 2025 and beyond.

In addition to Bisping and Cruz’s high praise on the UFC Vegas 104 broadcast, fight fans had a field day on social media reacting to Vallejos’s performance.

“Argentina has a dawg in Kevin Vallejos,” former UFC champ Henry Cejudo wrote.

“If people don’t see the shades of Ilia Topuria here with his head movement then counter right hand. Then you’re missing out on great details!” former UFC titleholder Aljamain Sterling commented.

“Topuria 2 just dropped,” one fan wrote on X.

“Kevin Vallejos is the real deal,” another said.

“Choi received many unlimited punches.”

“That’s what we call an efficient knockout.”

“This kid is cool. Kevin Vallejos is gonna be fun as hell in this division.”

“Kevin Vallejos is the next Ilia Topuria. Literally a carbon copy of Ilia & an amazing prospect.”

“Kevin Vallejos is a bad dude. Easily one of the best prospects to come out of Latin America in recent years.”

MASSIVE right leads to the finish for Kevin Vallejos ⚡ #UFCVegas104 pic.twitter.com/cBtPdhvHRV
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 15, 2025

Kevin Vallejos adds to emerging featherweight talent post-Ilia Topuria

The Ilia Topuria comparisons with Vallejos come at a time when the featherweight division is in desperate need of fresh names. Topuria will vacate the UFC featherweight title next month at UFC 314 for a full-time move to lightweight.

Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will fight for the vacant featherweight belt at UFC 314. Vallejos, with a few more wins, could potentially get the quick push into the featherweight Top 15.

Vallejos’s finish wasn’t the only impressive performance at UFC Vegas 104. Priscila Cachoeira earned a one-punch knockout before begging Dana White for a post-fight bonus to help those struggling with drug addiction.

Vallejos avoided a similar ‘fraud check’ label to Josias Musasa at UFC Vegas 104. The undefeated prospect suffered his first-career defeat to Carlos Vera during the UFC Vegas 104 prelims.

Yuneisy Duben’s hype train was also derailed at UFC Vegas 104. She suffered a brutal head-kick knockout to Carli Judice.

Vallejos is a dark-horse candidate for 2025’s ‘Newcomer of the Year’ award after UFC Vegas 104. It could be a matter of time until he fights on a major UFC spotlight.