Quillan Salkilld walked away from the UFC Vegas 120 main event with a career defining victory over Mateusz Gamrot, but the triumph came with a concerning physical cost. Despite dominating the bout and securing a first round rear naked choke, the Australian lightweight admitted after the fight that he likely injured his knee during an early wrestling scramble. Salkilld described a moment where Gamrot gripped his ankle and twisted it nearly ninety degrees, leading to a sensation he recognized immediately as trouble.
The fighter confessed that while he would typically yield in such a position during training to avoid injury, his competitive drive took over in the octagon. He explained that he tried to force his way out of the hold rather than accepting a bad position, which resulted in him hearing a distinct pop. The pain lingered throughout the remainder of the contest, fueling Salkilld’s urgency to finish Gamrot quickly before his leg gave out or became too sore to function.
While the victory virtually guarantees Salkilld a spot in the lightweight top ten, he says his immediate priority is visiting a doctor to assess the extent of the damage. Though he remains optimistic that it isn’t anything catastrophic, he noted a lingering twinge in the joint following the adrenaline rush of the win. Until those medical results come back, he is putting any talk of future matchups on hold.
Still, Salkilld remains confident in his ability to bounce back rapidly, jokingly comparing himself to Wolverine when discussing his recovery process. He expressed hope that he can return to action by November, specifically eyeing a high profile appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York. After proving he belongs among the elite of the 155 pound division, Salkilld believes he has sent a clear message to the rest of the top five that he is a legitimate contender for the title.
