What Is Next for the Young Lightweight?
Quillan Salkilld came into UFC 321 on early notice and absolutely delivered. The young Lightweight was given the fight on only 10 days’ notice and found himself a first-round victory. He defeated Nasrat Haqparast with a devastating headkick that instantly ended the fight. There are many other fighters looking to make their claim in the Lightweight Division. Quillan Salkilld has shown why he deserves the chance.
The young Australian showed his talent quickly in this performance. At only 25 years old, Salkilld showed why he deserves respect in the Lightweight Division. A dominant first-round victory shows a lot of confidence and presence in the Octagon for fighters; doing it in the first round amplifies the hype. Salkilld now stands at 3-0 in the UFC with high intentions ahead of him. He is no longer a newcomer in the UFC and should take on more challenging fights soon. Establishing himself as a confident and hungry fighter will help him make a push to the higher tiers of the division. A knockout win like this proves to the matching committee but also to other fighters that he deserves respect in the division. Dominant knockout wins like this can also secure bonuses and fight of the night performances, which pushes fighters to give it their all. However, there will be challenges that Salkilld will face. The UFC proves time and time again that anything can happen, and the matchups can oftentimes go either way. Training and mental preparation will be crucial to his game plan going forward. He should push to take more fights within the year, especially some more talented fighters who are in the same spot as him. This can establish him as the elite fighter among the other new fighters, allowing him to possibly find himself in the upper tier.
Quillan Salkilld has a very exciting future ahead of him, and solidified it with a dominating performance. The young Australian will have many challenges to face, but the preparation is what makes the fighter. He has a lot of confidence and hunger, along with momentum on his side. Salkilld remains undefeated in the UFC with a lot more to prove.
