Quillan Salkilld showed he's 'real f*cking deal' with UFC Vegas 120 submission win

LAS VEGAS – It’s been nearly two years since Quillan Salkilld appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series. Six UFC appearances later, there’s no denying the Australian standout has made a name for himself.

“I didn’t really think this far ahead,” Salkilled told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after UFC Fight Night 284. “I’ve always had the end goal of fighting for the belt and getting the championship wrapped around my waist. Never really thought too hard of the path there, always believed I would get there one way or the other. But I’m not surprised that it’s gone this way also. I one hundred percent believe in my ability.”

That ability was on display Saturday night as he defeated perennial contender Mateusz Gamrot by first-round submission in a main event spotlight at the Meta APEX to announce himself as a serious threat at 155 pounds.

Or in Salkilld’s own words, “I just showed everyone that I’m the real f*cking deal and that I deserve to be in that top spot in the lightweight division.”

Hard to argue otherwise after Salkilld surprisingly was the one to take the fight to the ground against Gamrot.

“I’m a jack of all trades,” Salkilld said. “I’ve got many weapons in the arsenal, and I’m going to use every single one of them to get the job done. It just so happened that I got to his back, snatched that neck, and got to prove to everyone that I belong in that upper echelon of the division. I can finish the fight not only on the feet with one shot, but on the ground also.”

Salkilld, 26, is 6-0 in the UFC and hasn’t lost a fight since his professional debut in February 2021. He will likely find himself ranked in the top 10 when the latest Meta UFC Rankings are unveiled Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Quillan Salkilld showed he’s ‘real f*cking deal’ with UFC Vegas 120 submission win