Kevin Vallejos is ready for his close up. The rising star takes on grizzled veteran Josh Emmett in his first headlining role on UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Emmett (19-6) must stop the bleeding. The 41-year-old is on a 1-4 stretch, but look under the hood, and it might not be irreparable. Those losses include an interim featherweight title fight with Yair Rodriguez, a loss to Lerone Murphy, who fights in a title eliminator next week, and a unanimous decision against two-division champ Ilia Topuria. Emmett went 25 grueling minutes with Topuria, and isn’t sold on the comparisons between the lightweight champ and Vallejos.

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“I don’t think [Vallejos] is Ilia 2.0,” Emmett told CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell on Tuesday. “I have seen the [UFC] commentators say that. It’s just because he has really good boxing and has a lot of good feints. He’s just slick and is always in the best position possible. I don’t think so, but we’ll find out Saturday, and I’ll let you guys know after my win.” 

Vallejos (17-1) is ready to put Argentina on the map. Waving the same flag as his predecessor, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Vallejos is poised to make a splash in the featherweight rankings like his countrywoman, Ailin Perez, has in the women’s bantamweight division. To do so, he must overcome a veteran with serious power. Sandwiched between Emmett’s previously mentioned losses was his iconic knockout of Bryce Mitchell. Vallejos is keenly aware that power is the last thing to go for aging fighters.

“He can finish the fight in the first round, he can finish a fight in the third round, or keep it going. But I’m prepared for this,” Vallejos told CBS Sports. “We know what can happen. I don’t feel that is going to be a problem because I’m used to this. I have not been knocked out, and the person who came closest to doing this was Jean Silva. Since then, there have been no flash knockdowns at all, and I haven’t been knocked out at all, so I’m ready for a good fight. I’m prepared for it.”

Let’s take a look at the rest of the fight card with the latest odds from DraftKings before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.

UFC Fight Night card, odds

Where to watch UFC Fight Night

Date: March 14 | Start time: 8 p.m. ET (main card) | 5 p.m. ET (prelims)
Location: Meta APEX — Las Vegas
Stream: Paramount+ (subscribe now for as little as $8.99 per month)

Prediction

Josh Emmett vs. Kevin Vallejos: Will age weather Emmett’s nearly impervious chin? How will Vallejos’ cardio hold up after three rounds? These are significant questions for the two KO artists. Emmett has a few things going for him: durability, power, and five-round experience. Vallejos, 24, arguably lost the first round of his fight with Giga Chikadze before knocking him out in the second. Chikadze’s initial resistance is mildly concerning, but not enough to root against him. Vallejos has the right combination of athleticism and skill to overcome Emmett’s stubbornness. His striking output is bountiful, and his takedown defense is solid. Emmett’s power hasn’t been a difference maker lately, and his takedowns weren’t enough to sway judges in the Murphy fight. I won’t make the same mistake I did picking against Lone’er Kavanagh, the young rising star, against Brandon Moreno. Pick: Vallejos via Unanimous Decision

Who wins Emmett vs. Vallejos, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 19, 2018, and find out.