Featherweight Phenom Shines Bright at UFC Vegas 114: A Night of Knockouts and Submissions

Las Vegas, NV (March 15th, 2026) — The UFC Apex witnessed a spectacular display of combat sports as UFC Vegas 114 unfolded, headlined by a stellar performance from the rising featherweight star, Kevin Vallejos. The 24-year-old prodigy, boasting an impressive record of 18-1, showcased his striking prowess against the seasoned veteran Josh Emmett, aged 41, with a record of 19-7.

Vallejos dominated the octagon with a striking advantage of 43-3, dropping Emmett twice before referee Herb Dean called a halt to the bout via first-round TKO. This loss marks Emmett’s fifth in six fights, raising questions about his future in the sport, although he did not officially announce his retirement despite removing his gloves in the cage.

The evening was filled with thrilling performances, including Myktybek Orolbai’s dominant grappling display, securing a unanimous decision victory over Chris Curtis with scores of 30-27 across the board. Manoel Sousa delivered a “Performance of the Night” with a devastating third-round knockout of Bolaji Oki, showcasing his power with a single, well-placed punch.

Elijah Smith continued his winning streak in the UFC by submitting SuYoung You with a rear-naked choke in the second round, while Bia Mesquita impressed with a swift first-round rear-naked choke submission over Montserrat Rendon. The UFC awarded four $100,000 bonuses for the evening, with Kevin Vallejos and Manoel Sousa earning “Performance of the Night” honors.

Additional $25,000 awards were given to Bia Mesquita, Ion Cutelaba, and Elijah Smith for their impressive finishes. The main card featured several notable bouts, including Gillian Robertson’s unanimous decision victory over Amanda Lemos, Jose Delgado’s split decision win against Andre Fili, and Ion Cutelaba’s first-round submission of Oumar Sy via guillotine choke.

The preliminary card also delivered exciting matchups, with Charles Johnson securing a split decision victory over Bruno Silva, Vitor Petrino defeating Steven Asplund by unanimous decision, and Eryk Anders outpointing Brad Tavares in a unanimous decision win. Other highlights included Hecher Sosa’s unanimous decision victory over Luan Lacerda and Piera Rodriguez’s dominant performance against Sam Hughes.

UFC Vegas 114 was a night to remember, filled with action-packed bouts and memorable performances that left fans eagerly anticipating the next event.