8/10/26
Quillan Salkilld proved he is the real deal and a potential serious contender in the lightweight division after his dismantling of Mateusz Gamrot in one round at this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night. Salkilld burst onto the scene on the Dana White Contender Series back in 2024 and made his official UFC debut in 2025. Before this last fight, he strung together five straight wins, with four of them being by first-round finish. He was marketed as the next big thing in the lightweight division due to his skills, but he has the charisma to carry him as a big star as well. Mateusz Gamrot was his biggest test to date, as he is one of the best grapplers in the UFC and has an impressive UFC record while fighting some of the best in the weight class.
This was a test for Salkilld to see if he really belongs in the conversation for best lightweights in the world or if he was just hype. He proved any doubters he could have had wrong, though, as he manhandled Gamrot inside a round and submitted him. Salkilld made it look easy and didn’t seem fazed by the grappling threat of Gamrot whatsoever. He had the advantage on the feet and dropped Gamrot early with a check left hook. Gamrot shot for a takedown out of desperation and was stuffed before Salkilld flipped the table and displayed his own offensive grappling. Before long, Salkilld wrapped himself around the back of Gamrot and sank in a rear naked choke that ended the fight.
What is next for Salkilld, though? In the eyes of many fans, Benoit Saint Dennis is the obvious choice for his next opponent. Saint Dennis was a top five lightweight in his last fight, and despite the loss to Paddy Pimblet, he took no damage, which leaves him fresh for a potential fight towards the end of the year. This would add another big name to the resume due to the well-roundedness of BSD’s game. A win over Saint Dennis would likely put Salkilld in the top five rankings or, at the very least, the top seven. After Salkilld’s last performance, there is a lot of buzz that he could be a future champ, and with performances like his last fight, he very well could be. He is only 26 and hasn’t even entered his prime as a fighter which is scary. He looks to keep stacking names and he takes the division by storm and hopes to one day be the undisputed lightweight champion.
