8/7/26
The UFC returns to the Apex Center in Vegas as a veteran takes on a young prospect who has made waves in the company in a brief time. Mateusz Gamrot has been hovering around the top seven rankings for the last couple of years and is one of the most elite grapplers in the lightweight division. This is a perfect test for rising star Quillan Salkilld, who continues to produce highlight performance after highlight performance each time he steps into the octagon. If Salkilld can get over the hump, then he will be in serious talks for title contention one day. This is a great fight in a card full of ranked bouts and even a retirement fight for a long-time athlete. Here is a preview for UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs Salkilld.
Billy Ray Goff vs Ty Miller: Welterweight
A competitive welterweight fight between two fighters who are still young in their MMA career. Billy Ray Goff comes into the fight with a 9-4 record and a 1-2 UFC record. He is coming off a two-fight losing streak and is looking to get back into the win column against undefeated Ty Miller. Miller is 7-0 in his career and 1-0 in the UFC. With a knockout win earlier this year, he looks to keep on pushing down the line and hopefully one day reach the welterweight rankings. This will be a test for both men as Goff comes in with more experience but has been on a losing streak, while Miller is young and heating up at the right time. Should be a fun scrap in one of the most skilled divisions in the promotion.
Amanda Lemos vs Alexia Thainara: Women’s Strawweight
In the first ranked fight of the night, long time staple in the strawweight division Amanda Lemos takes on Alexia Thainara who’s coming off an impressive performance at UFC Seattle earlier this year. This will be a very interesting fight stylistically because Lemos is more well-rounded but has heavier hands between the two. She is 15-6-1 in her career with eight wins coming by knockout. Thainara is the complete opposite as she is a pure submission threat with eight of her fourteen wins coming by submission. Thainara is 14-1 in her career with her only loss coming by submission. She has less experience in the UFC but has proven herself in a short time. Thainara with a win will be in the top ten rankings of the division, but she has to go through a tough and battle tested veteran in Lemos. A great fight and one that could propel one’s career, barring a win.
Darren Elkins vs Yadier Del Valle: Featherweight
Darren Elkins is going out on his own terms as he announced this will be his retirement fight. With a 29-12 record in his career and being 19-11 in the UFC, Elkins has seen it all at the highest level. Most fighters don’t see fights in the double digits in the UFC but Elkins has 30 and has faced veterans all the way to former and even current champions in that time. He felt that his time in the fight game has come to a close and this will be it win, lose, or draw. Standing in his way, however, is a dangerous opponent in Yadier Del Valle. He is 10-1 in his career and 2-1 in the UFC. His last fight was the only loss of his career, and he is hungry to get back into the win column against someone as experienced as Darren Elkins. This will be a fight that will showcase how much time in the ring matters and Del Valle likely won’t have anything in store that Elkins hasn’t seen before. Can Del Valle spoil the retirement party or will Elkins get one last win to his name? All will be answered come Saturday.
Diego Ferreira vs Billy Quarantillo: Lightweight
These two fighters have had similar careers in terms of records and time in the UFC. Diego Ferreira is 19-7 in his career and 10-7 in the UFC, where he made his debut back in 2014. He has been a long-time journeyman in the lightweight division and has fought many top-notch fighters throughout his time in the company. Billy Quarantillo is 18-7 in his career and 6-5 in the UFC. He made his debut only in 2019 and has also fought high-level fighters since he stepped into the UFC octagon. Both men have seen it all in the company and now look across from each other as two veterans who are still trying to take that next step in their careers. Ferreira and Quarantillo are well-rounded fighters who can get it done on the feet and on the ground. Expect a close fight between the two that could go one way or the other. No telling how this one could play out, but no matter what, it will be a great watch for the fans.
Mateusz Gamrot vs Quillan Salkilld: Lightweight
The main event of the evening features one of the biggest rising stars in the UFC facing off against one of the best grapplers in the lightweight division and a constant top-ranked fighter. Mateusz Gamrot has seen so many elite fighters in his time that it is practically all he knows. From Charles Oliveira to Arman Tsarukyan, who are both championship-level fighters, Gamrot is among some of the best in the weight class. He is 26-4 in his career and 9-4 in the UFC with a mixed bag of knockout, submission, and decision wins. He is a tough fight for anyone, and now he faces a prospect with lots to prove in Quillan Salkilld. Salkilld burst onto the scene on the Dana White Contender Series in 2024 and since then has collected five straight wins, with four of them being by finish.
His last fight was against Beniel Dariush, who is among one of the most skilled fighters in the lightweight division, and it only took him a few minutes to get the KO win. While Salkilld has shown that he is the real deal, he has not fought someone at the level of Gamrot yet. The grappling is overwhelming for many of Gamrot’s opponents, and he is no slouch on the feet either. This will be a massive test for Salkilld to see where he truly stacks up in the most skilled weight class in the sport. A loss for Salkilld would not drop his hype as a prospect; it would just mean that the young star has a little more to learn. A win, however, would propel him into contender talks and would guarantee a top ten ranking. A lot is on the line for both fighters, and an outstanding main event that fans are lucky to get to watch comes at 5:00 PDT, Saturday at the Apex.
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