Quillan Salkilld: A future UFC champion in the making
Quillan Salkilld is currently on a tear in the UFC lightweight division, and if his current form is any indication of his ceiling, he may one day fight for championship gold.
Quillan Salkilld could be the next big thing in the UFC lightweight division, which is already one of the most talent-dense divisions in the entire promotion. Whether he emerges as the fighter to dethrone Justin Gaethje as lightweight champion remains to be seen, but he's already on the path to a title fight. The only question is who he'll face when the time comes, which could be just two fights away.
Quillan Salkilld is the total package
Some fighters are specialists, while others are well-rounded. Quillan Salkilld has shown himself to be well-rounded, but not in the 'jack of all trades, master of none' sense. He is, in fact, exceptional at every facet of MMA. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt isn't just for show. His grappling is truly elite, to which a high-level grappler like Mateusz Gamrot can attest. The two faced off at UFC Vegas 120 over a week ago, and it was nothing but domination in Salkilld's favor. Gamrot is a highly credentialted grappler, with his own Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, along with ADCC honors. Yet, he could do nothing against Salkilld, who completely outclassed him on the mat en route to a first-round submission.
Not even the great Charles Oliveira, a former lightweight champion and the greatest submission specialist in UFC history, managed to submit Gamrot in just one round. He needed two at UFC Fight Night 261. Salkilld's submission of Gamrot also marked the second such loss in the latter's career, but it isn't just his submissions. His takedown defense was exceptional, as he countered Gamrot's wrestling better than anyone, denying him any takedowns while also getting the better of each scramble. Even Arman Tsarukyan, a high-level wrestler and grappler, failed to do so, losing to Gamrot via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 57. Strangely, even Salkilld's grappling prowess seems to pale in comparison to his striking.
😱😱 QUILLAN SALKILLD ÉTRANGLE MATEUSZ GAMROT AU 1ER ROUND !!!
— RMC Sport Combat (@RMCSportCombat) August 9, 2026
✅ Énorme performance du combattant australien qui va certainement intégrer le top 10 des -70KG de l'UFC. #RMCMMA pic.twitter.com/8aE57mNfUv
He's devastating on the feet, with power in every limb. To make matters worse for his opponents, he's tall, rangy, and creative, able to end fights with both punches and kicks. The notoriously tough Beneil Dariush coudn't survive more than three minutes against him, losing via TKO in round one at UFC Fight Night 275. A year prior, Salkilld had also knocked out Nasrat Haqparast with a head kick in round one, ending his five-fight win streak. With a 13-1 record and a 13-fight win streak, consisting of five knockouts, five submissions, and just three decisions, Salkilld almost feels like an inevitability once he enters the cage. He's powerful, young, tall for the division, and elite at both striking and grappling. It's only a matter of time before he fights for the lightweight belt.
