Vallejos has drawn plenty of Topuria comparisons for good reason. He moves quite like the Lightweight kingpin, feinting his way forward in an attempt to herd his opposition into his powerful right hand. His boxing fundamentals are excellent, and thus far, the only flaw on his record was a closely contested war versus Jean Silva at a mere 21 years of age. The future looks very bright for “El Chino.” The concern here is that Emmett’s punching power will not allow much margin for error. Vallejos cannot afford to take big punches early or slow down a little late in the face of such massive haymakers. I wonder if he’s been pushed to the top of the division a little too quickly, as this is just his fourth overall UFC bout.

Above, I talked about how boxing fundamentals become more important in this kind of matchup, how winning the jab battle is suddenly more valuable than ever. Simultaneously, the jab battle really opens up the outside calf kick, which can be an absolute game changer. When Topuria beat up Emmett, it all really began with his calf kicks, as he broke down Emmett’s stance and made him hesitate. Vallejos should be looking to do the same. If he can draw out Emmett’s lead hand and punish his left leg early on, it will benefit him greatly as the five rounds wear on. The other key tactic for Vallejos is to take away and punish Emmett’s right hand, which is a significant portion of his offense. If he can roll beneath the blow and fire back, it will deter Emmett away from his best weapon.