Quillan Salkilld has gone and confirmed himself the next big thing of Australia combat sports – needing only a tick over three minutes to earn a $25,000 UFC performance bonus against countryman Jamie Mullarkey.
Just a year after lighting up the same Sydney venue for his UFC debut, 26-year-old Salkilld is now urging UFC bosses to give him an opponent in the top 15 after earning his fourth straight Octagon win.
Despite many predicting the all-Australian showdown would be a war — including Salkilled — the hyped Perth phenom dropped Mullarkey midway through the first round and quickly sunk in a rear naked choke.
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It was inside Qudos Bank Arena a year ago that Salkilld announced himself to UFC fans in sensational fashion, finishing Anshul Jubli in just 19 seconds.
The Aussie then completed an outstanding UFC rookie year by also scoring a highlight reel headkick finish of Nasrat Haqparast in October, again in the first round, with a decision win over Yanal Ashmouz in between.
Asked afterwards about thinking the showdown with an always game Mullarkey would be a war, Salkilld said: “Man, I always contradict myself.
“Sometimes it ends up nice and simple in the first round.”
But as for grappling being his game plan for this one?
“Not necessarily,” he told the UFC’s Daniel Cormier. “The game plan was to come in and fight. People forget grappling is my strong suit. So if people want to grapple with me, shame on them.”
The quick finish capped off what had already been a strong undercard for Aussie fighters, with victories in the preliminaries for Dom Mar Fan, Kaan Ofli, Jonathan Micallef, Jacob Malkoun and Cam Rowston.
Early on, it was Melbourne’s Jono Micallef who went and finished the greatest feud of UFC 325 fight week in sensational style – choking rival Oban Elliott, aka the Welsh gangster, unconscious.
As revealed by Fox Sports Australia, Micallef and Elliott had enjoyed a wonderfully heated Octagon build, which included exchanging words during a fiery confrontation at the UFC fighter hotel.
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Micallef brutally puts Elliott to sleep! | 00:32
Elliott even suggested Micallef was left “s****ing his pants” during their run-in, while also accusing the Aussie of talking “f***ing nonsense” ever since their initial bout slated for Perth last year was canned due to him getting pneumonia.
However, in the second round of an entertaining scrap, it was Micallef who took his rival down, took his back, sunk a choke, then squeezed, and squeezed …. and squeeeeezed.
At which point, Elliott went out.
The finish ended a strong showing for the breakout Melburnian, who remains undefeated in the Octagon after also upsetting Kevin Jousset at UFC 312 in Sydney last year.
Asked inside the cage afterwards how he felt, ‘The Captain’ told Daniel Cormier: “Incredible. There’s nothing like it DC.
“The captain is on the streets and cleaning up all the gangsters.”
Micallef then called out UFC veteran Neil Magny, who only last September beat Australia’s Jake Matthews.
“Neil Magny, nothing but respect brother,” The Captain said. “But I’d love to punch you in the head.”
Elsewhere on the undercard, Sydney middleweight Jacob Malkoun was congratulated by Bulldogs star Stephen Crichton and head coach Cameron Ciraldo after returning from two years out with injury to earn a huge win.
Malkoun, who doubles as an NRL wrestling coach for the Doggies, earned a convincing decision win over jacked American Torrez Finney, taking all three scorecards: 30-27, 30-26, 30-26.
“I felt a bit of ring rust after two years off, few injuries,” Malkoun said afterwards. “But it was a dominant performance … f*** yeah.”
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