SeungWoo Choi vs. Kevin Vallejos prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 254

SeungWoo Choi and Kevin Vallejos meet Saturday in the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 254 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 2-3
UFC main cards, 2025: 19-16-1

SeungWoo Choi vs. Kevin Vallejos UFC Fight Night 254 preview

Choi (11-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC) will look to bounce back from a first-round stoppage against Steve Garcia last July. Prior to that setback, Choi won a unanimous decision over Jaro Errens to stop a three-fight skid. … Vallejos (14-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his debut following a September appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. There, he stopped Cam Teague in the first round to extend his current streak to three.

SeungWoo Choi vs. Kevin Vallejos UFC Fight Night 254 expert pick, prediction

Despite headlining the card with another awful middleweight rematch, the UFC matchmakers, to their credit, smartly booked a featherweight action fight between Choi and Vallejos to kick off the main card.

Vallejos really impressed me with his boxing on Dana White’s Contender Series, so seeing him show up as a favorite here is no surprise.

🧵Some notes about the boxing of Kevin Vallejos🧵

🥊 pic.twitter.com/ItM8G27tal

— Feño 🏴 (@fenoxsky) September 25, 2024

Still, Choi will have an undeniable experience edge in what is ultimately a big step up for Vallejos. Therefore, I’d be careful about parlaying up Vallejos in a fight with a high propensity for fireworks early.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Choi attempt to fight smarter early by mixing things up, but his habit of brawling will likely be brought out by Vallejos’ aggression.

The pick is Vallejos by knockout in Round 2.