Less than two years later, Salkilld is back to compete in Las Vegas for the first time, owning a perfect 5-0 mark inside the Octagon with four finishes, four Performance of the Night bonuses, and a number next to his name as he readies to face Mateusz Gamrot in the main event of Saturday’s return to the Meta APEX.
Watch This & Every UFC Event On Paramount+
“I would have been stoked, but I wouldn’t have been surprised,” Salkilld said, reflecting on his meteoric rise and how it compared to his own expectaitons. “I believe in my ability to do that. It doesn’t really feel surreal… I think with how things have played out fight after fight, it’s been kind of like a natural progression. After the last one, you get thinking something like this would happen. It was definitely in my sights. Afterwards, when I sit back, look back and reflect, it will be ‘G*****n! I did that s***!’ But, for now I’m just focusing on the task at hand and handling business.”
Breaking into the rankings in the lightweight division in less than two years is an impressive achievement as is headlining against a proven talent like Gamrot, and it is the proper next step for the streaking Australian standout. Although he scored a brilliant 19-second knockout win in his promotional debut, a hard-earned decision win in his sophomore outings cooled expectations for Salkilld a little heading into the back half of his rookie campaign. However, a knockout of Nasrat Haqparast on short-notice at UFC 321 thrust the 26-year-old back into the spotlight and he’s been rolling ever since.
