23-year-old UFC debutant Kevin Vallejos could’ve used an extra $50K in the bank.
One of several finishes on the main card headlined by Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze on Saturday, the newly-minted UFC Featherweight put the division on notice with a marquee performance over South Korean veteran Seung Woo Choi.
Owner of a 14-1 record and his only loss to Fighting Nerds’ standout Jean Silva, Vallejos had a ton of hype heading into his debut and the Contender Series Alumni lived up to it with a thunderous first-round knockout of Choi, landing a clean overhand right.
Showing shades of UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria with his movement and power, Vallejos is touted to be a star-in-the-making.
Kevin Vallejos reacts to UFC bonus snub
“Do I deserve the bonus?” an excited Vallejos wrote on ‘X’ following his debut.
Despite the fanfare around Vallejos’ thrilling entry to the UFC, the Argentinian missed out on the $50,000 performance bonus. Instead, the UFC gave four performance bonuses in total to Carli Judice, Andre Lima, Carlos Vera and a powerful Priscila Cachoeira for her faceplant knockout.
The young Vallejos was disappointed to say the least.
“I didn’t win the bonus,” Vallejos wrote on X with crying emojis.
“The bonus would have been an investment in my career [heartbreak].”
Kevin Vallejos is coming for Jean Silva
A win in his UFC debut, the $50,000 bonus wasn’t the only thing Vallejos was gunning for in his post-fight interview.
The only loss on his pro record to top prospect Jean ‘Lord’ Silva, Vallejos wasted no time calling out his former foe.
“My son is needy,” Silva wrote on X, responding to Vallejos.
“Needy to take everything you got,” Vallejos warned Silva. “I am coming for you.”
Kevin Vallejos notched his 11th career knockout on Saturday. The KO artist has only seen the scorecards three times in his 16-fight career.