Kevin Vallejos needed two-and-a-half minutes to get the job done Tuesday.
If Cam Teague wasn’t so tough, it would’ve been even less time clocked for Vallejos (14-1) who won with a standing TKO barrage at 2:33 of Round 1 during their featherweight bout at Dana White’s Contender Series 73 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Vallejos, a second-time competitor on the series, showed off his punching power. Teague (7-1) walked through many shots early, but when a big body punch stung him badly, he was unable to protect himself consistently enough and the floodgate of attack by Vallejos opened.
Teague became ultra-protective of his body, leaving his head open for a bomb from Vallejos that stunned him. Vallejos upped the pressure and backed Teague against the fence. Vallejos punched away as Teague covered up and eventually toppled over. That was all referee Kevin MacDonald needed to see (via X):
Didn't want to leave any doubt this time around!
Kevin Vallejos gets the finish in round one 🤯 #DWCS pic.twitter.com/6duX29WBgO
— UFC (@ufc) September 25, 2024
Argentina’s Vallejos, 22, competed on DWCS in 2023 and lost a unanimous decision to Jean Silva, a fighter who has slowly emerged as a potential future contender in the UFC. He won back-to-back fights to punch his ticket back.
Alabama’s Teague loses for the first time as a professional. After a build for smaller local shows, Teague took a step up when he fought and defeated former UFC fighter Austin Lingo for Fury FC in August.
Up-to-the-minute DWCS 73 results include:
- Kevin Vallejos def. Cam Teague via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:23
- Alexia Thainara def. Rose Conceicao via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 73.