Kevin Vallejos wants rematch with Jean Silva to settle old score

Kevin Vallejos still has unfinished business with Jean Silva. The Argentine lightweight suffered a unanimous decision loss to the Brazilian on Dana White's Contender Series in 2023, a defeat that forced him to wait another year before returning to the show and earning his UFC contract. Now, Vallejos says he would like the opportunity to face Silva again and settle the score.

Kevin Vallejos Recalls UFC Opportunity Slipping Away

A professional fighter since 2021, Vallejos arrived at DWCS in 2023 with an undefeated record, riding a stunning 11-fight winning streak. At the show, he faced Silva, who defeated him and denied him the opportunity to earn a UFC contract. As the Brazilian secured his deal with the promotion, Vallejos was not signed and had to wait another year to return to the show. This time, Vallejos defeated Cam Teague by TKO and earned his UFC contract.

Now, a few years later, Vallejos has won all four of his UFC appearances and wants to face Silva in a rematch to settle what he still sees as unfinished business.

"Yes, definitely ," Vallejos said on the Direto de Vegas podcast. "When he made his debut, I remember I was training in Mexico and I wanted him to lose. Because he stole my spot. I felt like this was my opportunity and he took it away from me. And I wanted him to lose, I wanted him to lose…"

Kevin Vallejos Sees Rematch as a Possibility

Despite the resentment he felt at the time, Vallejos acknowledged that Silva deserved his opportunity. Years later, however, the two fighters are in a very different position. Both are now established in the UFC and ranked relatively close to each other in the featherweight division, with Silva at No. 6 and Vallejos at No. 10. For the Argentine, that could make a rematch a realistic possibility in the near future.

"But then again, that's just each person's instinct," Vallejos said. "I think it was his time to shine, and nowadays it's mine. Today, we're very close to meeting again."

Vallejos has since built a successful UFC career of his own, but the loss to Silva remains a unique chapter in his journey to the promotion. The Argentine will now have to wait and see if the UFC gives him the chance to settle the score with Silva.