UFC Vegas 114 preview and predictions: Josh Emmett or Kevin Vallejos — who wins?

The UFC will remain in Las Vegas this weekend after the BMF Championship Show fell short of expectations. Saturday’s UFC Vegas 114 event at Meta Apex aims to correct course, headlined by a featherweight showdown between division stalwart Josh Emmett and emerging talent Kevin Vallejos.

UFC Vegas 114 is another one-sided moneyline lineup with plenty of underdogs to choose from. Especially in the main event, the MMA world has faith in Vallejos, who entered the weekend on an impressive six-fight win streak and has lost just once in his 18-fight career. Standing across the cage was Emmett, who found himself in desperate need of a win after losing four of his last five fights.

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A clash between strawweight contenders in the co-main event will undoubtedly carry higher stakes as one-time title challenger Amanda Lemos looks to hold her own and deny Jillian Robertson her first gold medal. Beyond the first two games, Saturday’s game has decent entertainment value, with names scattered throughout that have solid prospect sightings and finishing potential.

That might be a generous score, but UFC Vegas 114 could be much worse.

👑 UFC Vegas 114 Lineup Crown Grade: C- 👑

Betting Odds Pass Bette MGM.

145 pounds: Josh Emmett (+400) vs. Kevin Vallejos (-550)

Emmett spent years proving a simple fact: all it takes is one hit.

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The longtime Alpha Male staple has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the most fearsome fighters in the featherweight division, the kind of fighter who can erase a 14-minute loss with one right hand. We’ve seen it before (sorry, Michael Johnson). Now 41, Emmett finds himself in a familiar underdog role, this time against Argentinian prospect Vallejos.

Emmett’s £145 resume is no joke. Since retiring from lightweight in 2017, he’s scored a number of great knockouts, while also having memorable fights with Calvin Kattar and Shawn Burgos. A split decision win over Kattar in 2022 briefly thrust him into title contention, although injuries and time slowly sapped his momentum.

This is the story of Emmett’s career. After a difficult setback, he came back tenaciously. Knee surgeries, broken bones and even a serious facial fracture slowed him down, but the strength never faded. it yes As they say, it’s the last thing. The question now is whether he can keep up with younger, faster opponents the rest of the way.

That hasn’t been the case lately.

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Enter Vallejos, a 24-year-old wrecking ball fighter who represents the next wave of featherweight talent. Argentina’s prospects established his He is known for his ruthless forward press and “kill or be killed” mentality that overwhelms most opponents put in front of him. While Vallejos’ power is real, he’s also shown better composure and a willingness to combine with other tools when needed.

Style dynamics are simple. Emmett needs space and patience, and uses his strong fists for support. The opportunity to set a trap and detonate the infamous right hand is always there. Vallejos, though, wanted chaos — pressure, pace, and a fight that was faster than the veteran was capable of.

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There was no doubt that Emmett still only needed one. But against a younger, faster opponent that thrives on size and pressure, those opportunities will be fewer than before. Vallejos should be able to weather the early danger and maintain high speed. This major event is intended to be a passing of the torch moment.

Choice: Vallejos

115 pounds: Amanda Lemos (+165) vs. Jillian Robertson (-200)

Lemos remains one of the rare one-punch threats in the strawweight division. The Brazilian possesses legitimate knockout power at 115 pounds and has used it to flatten or neutralize names like Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Marina Rodriguez. If she has room to plant and throw things, bad things tend to happen quickly.

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Although Robertson’s own stand-up skills continued to improve, she didn’t want that to be the case. The Canadian is one of the toughest grapplers in the division and has become one of the most prolific submission artists in UFC women’s history. Say it out loud this is still a crazy fact.

Robertson’s game is relatively simple: close, consistent knockdowns that turn the fight into a prolonged grappling matter. This matchup should be competitive in the inevitable tussle, but Lemos’ issues are defensive. That’s not to say her defense isn’t sound – she’s just going up against a more aggressive opponent who’s constantly looking to attack. Lemos lost her most recent fight to Tatiana Suarez and performed better than many expected. This one may look similar. Since Robertson is a weaker wrestler than Suarez, Lemos will have more opportunities to land.

If Lemos keeps up this form, she will undoubtedly be a dangerous striker. But the momentum could change if Robertson gets his hands dirty and starts working on the mat quickly And the battle becomes a battle of control. Robertson has the momentum and she’ll ride on it here.

Choice: Robertson

205 pounds: Ion Cuşelaba (+200) vs. Oumar Sy (-250)

Ion Cuşelaba still fights like there’s a 30-second deadline for every fight – at least in the first round. The Moldovan light heavyweight went on the offensive early, looking to overwhelm his opponent with raw aggression and power, but that same all-gas approach often hurt him when the early blitzes didn’t land.

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Oumar Sy offers the opposite style. The undefeated French prospect built quiet momentum in a calm, methodical manner, combining long-range strikes with opportunistic grappling while remaining patient enough to let the fight come to him.

That contrast should define things here. Kuselaba will try to turn it into chaos immediately, while West’s path is to survive the early storm and let his discipline and cleaning skills take over at the end of the fight. This is basically the blueprint for defeating Kuselaba, and the damage he takes starts to increase. Sy is rising. We’ll be moving up to light heavyweight with the Frenchman.

Select: West

145 pounds: Andre Fili (+310) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (-400)

Andre Fili has been around long enough to have seen just about every type of featherweight prospect the UFC could throw at him. The Alpha Male veteran has quietly carved out a career as the division’s ultimate touchstone — dangerous enough to beat anyone on the right night, but inconsistent enough to make every outing feel like a coin flip.

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Jose Miguel Delgado plays a younger, hungrier fighter looking to make a name for himself with that energy. The rising star brings pressure and shooting instincts, a style designed to test whether veterans like Feeley still have the speed and urgency to keep up.

Fili’s experience and well-rounded game always gave him a chance, but history shows these fights tend to get messy. On paper, Fili’s results also alternated, meaning he would lose the fight after a split-decision victory over Christian Rodriguez. Expect Delgado to push the pace and trade power, finding the chances he’s looking for to get the win.

Choice: Delgado

145 pounds: Marwan Rahiki (-275) vs. Harry Hardwick (+200)

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of these guys. Marwan Rahiki is about to make his UFC debut after winning the Contender Series, while Harry Hardwick is still looking for his first win with the promotion after losing his UFC debut last September.

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Rashiki is an aggressive, undefeated Australian. In seven career games, Rashiki has excelled at causing chaos quickly. He’s dangerous when he gains momentum, willing to trade and force exchanges rather than sit back and play it safe.

Hardwick is the more graceful operator of the two. The British prospect is known for his sharp punches and calmness, preferring to control range and scatter opponents rather than dive headfirst into the chaos.

This contrast will affect combat. Rashiki will likely try to pressure Hardwick and drag him into ruins, while Hardwick’s path is to keep things technical and measured. If he can do that, the clean forward should have an advantage. That’s not necessarily a fair possibility given the nature of the competition, but Rashiki looks the more promising at the moment.

Regardless, there’s still a lot to know about everyone here.

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Choice: Rashiki

265 pounds: Vitor Petrino (-250) vs. Steven Asplund (+200)

I’m starting to think the UFC hates us because they continue to put unranked heavyweights on the main card in 2026.

Vitor Petrino is the more established talent in this area, possessing the athleticism and raw power to usually end fights before they get complicated. That’s all he has going for him between heavyweight and light heavyweight, though.

Steven Asplund is a big name in his own right but is largely untested. In fact, Petrino’s speed advantage may be the most important in this fight – if there is one yes Of course, this is important.

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How high Petrino’s ceiling is has yet to be determined. But this is a game he should handle without too much drama.

Choice: Petrino

Preliminary explanation

Myktybek Orolbai is his name and the one who sleeps is his game. It’s a must-see whenever Oral Bay is in the cage, and Saturday’s showdown with Chris Curtis is sure to bring some chaos. You never know which Curtis will show up on any given night, so keep an eye out for that fight.

Bia Mesquita is back and looking to make waves in the women’s bantamweight division where they are sorely needed.

Meanwhile, Brad Tavares and Eric Anders are fighting. No kidding, I could have sworn these two have fought before. But what do you know? We will do this in 2026.

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A middleweight fight doesn’t get much more middleweight than that one.

Quick selection:

• Charles Johnson (-185) def. Bruno Gustavo da Silva (+150)

• Brad Tavares (-125) def. Eric Anders (+105)

• Miktibek Oralbay (-300) def. Chris Curtis (+240)

• Manoel Souza (-275) def. Bolaji Oji(+220)

• Heche Souza (-250) def. Luann Lacerda (+200)

• Bea Mesquita (-650) def. Montserrat Trenton (+475)

• Elijah Smith (-250) def. Ryu Soo-young(+200)

• Piera Rodriguez (-160) def. Sam Hughes (+135)