Quillan Salkilld has made quite the splash in his year in the UFC.
Salkilld (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), a 26-year-old lightweight prospect, capped off his first year in the UFC with a submission win over veteran Jamie Mullarkey in the opening bout of the UFC 325 main card Saturday in Sydney. In his debut year, Salkilld finds himself with four wins in the UFC, including three by stoppage, three Performance of the Night bonuses and very high expectations of his career.
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The Australian expected to do well going into the UFC, but perhaps not this well.
“Faster than what I thought, but I’m all for it,” Salkilld told MMA Crazy and other reporters at the UFC 325 post-fight press conference. “I’m in this game to progress as fast and as quickly as possible, and it’s quite the special moment that I got to debut last year on the same card, first fight, and now I got to debut on a main card spot this year. We’re going to keep on heading up.”
With his rookie year behind him, Salkilld thinks it’s time to step up and challenge the top 15 of the division. He doesn’t care who it is; he just wants a higher-level fight.
“I want to dive in headfirst into the deep end and see how it goes,” Salkilld said. “I want a top-15 opponent or someone right there on the tip of the rankings.
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On top of wanting ranked opposition, Salkilld is also looking to maintain his level of activity. He did four fights in the last year, and he wants to get close to that number again.
“100 percent,” Salkilld said. “We’re keeping all the momentum going. Another couple of fights this year. Full steam ahead, and let’s see where that takes us.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Quillan Salkilld pleasantly surprised by UFC rise: ‘I’m all for it’
