Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
“Jack of all trades” Quillan Salkilld says his first-round submission victory against Polish wrestler Mateusz Gamrot proved he deserves to be in the upper echelon of the UFC lightweight division.
In the first main event of his career, the West Australian pulled off an impressive win, locking in a rear-naked choke and forcing Gamrot to tap in less than five minutes to stun the Las Vegas crowd on Sunday morning.
Salkilld (13-1) called out Gamrot (26-5-1NC) earlier this year, and the UFC granted his wish, with the 26-year-old’s popularity making him one of the most talked-about lightweights in the promotion.
It was all one-way traffic from the first bell, with Salkilld landing a nice left hook to the jaw which nearly dropped Gamrot and forced the Polish wrestler to go for a quick takedown.
Salkilld also escaped a leg lock, then got a takedown of his own and took Gamrot’s back, working his way to get the submission which he was never going to relinquish.
“(I am) over the moon. It’s a big weight off my shoulders. I was kind of nervous for this one. A big spotlight. I am glad I got the job done,” Salkilld said.
“I’m a Jack of all trades. 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 the upper echelon of the division and I can finish the fight not only on the feet with one shot but on the ground also.
“I s..t myself for all of them, to be honest. But when actually in there and I see the crowd, I’m genuinely having fun. This is the coolest thing being able to be in that octagon, about to have a scrap … what a job that is.”
Salkilld said he didn’t envisage his rise up the rankings to come this fast but always backed himself to get there.
“I don’t think this far ahead. I’ve always had the end goal of fighting for the belt, getting the championship wrapped around my waist, and never thought too hard of the path there,” he said.
“I always believed I was going to get there one way or another. I’m not surprised this has gone this way also because I 100 per cent believe in my ability and in my team.
“With my team we’re going to the top.”
Salkilld conceded he had a niggle in his knee after the fight, but wanted any of the top-five lightweights for his next fight.
“I have a little bit of a twinge in the knee right now from one of the wrestling exchanges, so for the time being my focus is seeing what the damage is. I don’t think it’s too bad, but that’s the next thing on my mind to be honest,” he said.
“And then we will be looking at closing in on that top five.
“I’m like Wolverine, no matter what the injury is, I’m going to recover quick. The dream fight would be at MSG in New York. There’s always a card usually in November, so fingers crossed I can get matched up on that.”
