Fighters on the Rise | UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Dolidze 2

The 23-year-old Argentine, who faces off with SeungWoo Choi in his promotional debut this weekend, is 14-1 overall and has won three straight since his loss to Jean Silva on Season 7 of the annual talent search series. Yes, the same Jean Silva that earned his fourth straight stoppage win in the UFC a couple weekends ago in Seattle; Vallejos went the distance with him in his first appearance at the UFC APEX when he was still just 21, and has subsequently earned a trio of finishes to garner a UFC contract and a ton of hype heading into his debut on Saturday.

It’s not just his effort against Silva that has made people sit up and take notice of the Samurai Fight House standout, as he earned his initial opportunity to compete on Contender Series after registering a second-round stoppage win over UFC vet Eduardo Garagorri, which was his second of four successful title defenses of the SFH featherweight belt. Then, last fall in his return to Las Vegas, Vallejos ran through the previously unbeaten Cam Teague, who was coming off a stoppage win over UFC alum Austin Lingo.

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Vallejos is incredibly polished and fundamentally sound for a 23-year-old with just 15 appearances under his belt, but a lot of that comes from facing quality competition throughout his time on the regional circuit and not simply crushing overmatched opposition. You could see in his fight with Silva that he has the goods, but just wasn’t quite as sharp and dialed in as the Fighting Nerds representative, and when he returned last year, his graduation to the UFC roster felt like a foregone conclusion, with all due respect to Teague.

Choi is a perfect introductory opponent for the Argentinian newcomer — a 32-year-old veteran who has made 10 appearances under the UFC banner, has good power and fast hands, and is more than likely going to be open to trading with the neophyte from the outset. He’s struggled as of late, but also owns wins over Julian Erosa and Youssef Zalal, and is more than capable of ruining Vallejos’ debut this weekend.

“El Chino” looks the like the genuine article at this point, but fighting at this level is another world entirely, and it will be interesting to see how Vallejos adapts on Saturday and going forward.

Andre Lima

Lima is forever going to be remembered as the guy that won his promotional debut by disqualification after getting bitten, especially because he had the teeth marks inked into his skin following the event, but since that infamous outing last March, “Mascote” has shown he’s someone to keep close tabs on in the ever-active flyweight division.

Just over two months after his initial win, the 26-year-old Brazilian outworked Mitch Raposo at UFC 302, winning handily in a bout that was somehow scored a split decision before returning three months later to out-hustle compatriot Felipe Dos Santos and advance to 3-0 in the UFC and 10-0 overall.

Saturday evening, the Lucas Martins protege steps in with Daniel Barez in yet another competitive bout that will further establish where the streaking UFC sophomore fits in the divisional hierarchy at the moment.

Barez landed on the wrong side of a split decision verdict in his DWCS appearance opposite Carlos Hernandez in 2021, won his next four fights, and got a short-notice call-up to face off with Jafel Filho in the summer of 2023. He started well, but ultimately lost that contest, then rebounded with a gutsy win over Victor Altamirano last September to notch his first UFC victory.

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While Lima has more Octagon experience, Barez has been in there with more experienced foes throughout his career and has the kind of sudden power that makes him permanently interesting in the 125-pound ranks. The impact of his blows was the difference-maker in his fight with Altamirano and could be a major factor here as well.

But Lima looked sharp throughout his rookie campaign, and if he can kick off Year Two on the UFC roster with another victory, he should be looking at a date with someone sporting a number next to their name later in the year, as winning four straight is no small feat. The flyweight division is in the midst of a shift, and right now, Lima looks like he’s very much going to be a part of the next wave of talent making a push towards the top of the rankings.

Yuneisy Duben

Duben pulled off one of the biggest upsets of last season on Dana White’s Contender Series, knocking out Shannon Clark with a clean overhand right just 73 seconds into their Week 4 meeting at the UFC APEX. Both entered with 5-0 records, but the LFA champ Clark was expected to dominate, only for Duben to get Dana White and company out of their seats with her blistering finish.

This weekend, the 28-year-old Venezuelan makes the walk to the Octagon for the first time to face off with DWCS Class of ’23 alum Carli Judice, who dropped a split decision to Ernesta Kareckaite, but earned a contract nonetheless before landing on the wrong side of the scorecards again in her promotional debut last summer.

The reason Duben has to be highlighted here is because of the clear and obvious power she brings to the table, which is rare in the flyweight division. She’s earned five of her six career wins by KO and sports a 100-percent finishing rate heading into this one, and while she had only faced inexperienced opposition prior to her last trip to Las Vegas, she dispatched Clark with aplomb, proving her power is real.

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The pairing with Judice is a solid measuring stick moment, as the American has both a height and reach advantage, and has shown that she’s learning how to use both, as well as possessing some of that trademark Louisiana toughness made famous by another Lafayette native, Dustin Poirier.

Where Vallejos looks ready to make an immediate impression and possibly jump right into the thick of things in the featherweight division, Duben is a long-term project with clear upside, but still in need of seasoning. If she can maintain her power and finishing abilities at this level, she could eventually become a genuine person of interest in the 125-pound ranks, but, for now, she is simply a fighter on the rise in the flyweight ranks.