Quillan Salkilld hungry for Beneil Dariush's ranking at UFC Perth
Quillan Salkilld could go straight from lightweight prospect to title contender at UFC Perth – 10 minutes from home.
The last time Quillan Salkilld fought in front of his home fans, it was his UFC debut – and he delivered a 19-second knockout. That was all the way across Australia in Sydney, though. Salkilld is from Perth.
To put that in perspective, it's like telling someone from Atlanta that they're fighting "at home" – in Los Angeles. They're about the same distance away. So Saturday at UFC Fight Night 275, just think what Salkilld could do when he gets to step in the cage in his actual home city – just a few minutes from where he puts his head down at night.
Salkilld (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has the biggest test of his career, and the biggest opportunity, in the co-main event at RAC Arena when he takes on Beneil Dariush (23-7-1 MMA, 17-7-1 UFC) It's the kind of win that could propel the 26-year-old Salkilld right into title contention at lightweight. He also might have to keep his emotions in check. "This is so cool for me," Salkilld said at Thursday's pre-fight news conference in Perth.
"I've been envisioning fighting guys such as Beneil for years. Now that we're finally here, I just think this is sick. We're at this stage, and I've just got to stay vigilant and not do anything stupid, and we walk away with the job done.