Aussie star eyes ‘Christmas blowout’ before blockbuster Sydney fight

Australian lightweight star Quillan Salkilld will headline UFC’s return to Sydney next February in a huge main event against Benoit Saint-Denis.

Salkilld has become one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars, winning 13 fights in a row and climbing the star-studded 155-pound rankings.

The electric Perth product has become a genuine highlight reel fighter, earning four-straight “performance of the night” bonuses from the UFC.

His latest victory came two months ago against Mateusz Gamrot, submitting the tough Polish veteran in the first round with a brutal rear-naked choke.

Speaking to nine.com.au after the announcement on Wednesday, Salkilld (14-1) spoke candidly about the journey towards main eventing a UFC event in his own backyard.

“It’s a full-circle moment, Sydney was where I made my debut as the first fight on the card, then a year later I opened up the main card and another year later, I get the chance to be the main event,” the 26-year-old said.

“It makes not only myself but my family and friends, everyone who’s been there since day one, really proud. It’s reaping rewards of all the hard work I’ve put in and that all my friends and family have put in and all the faith they’ve put in me.

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“Everything’s coming to fruition and it’s just cool being able to not only prove myself right, but to prove all of them right too. It’s cool to actually live up to what we’ve been saying for the past eight f---ing years.”

While it’s an exciting moment and something years in the making, Salkilld gave a hilarious insight about how he would handle the festive season.

“I’m just training as usual right now, I don’t like having these long gruelling fight camps ... maybe I will get a head start on my weight cut so I can have a bit of a Christmas blowout and still allow myself to make weight,” he said.

“Every year I fight in early-February and it’s like a month out from my f---ing fight is Christmas and my birthday within three days of each other and it’s ruined.

“The only thing I won’t be doing is drinking, but I’ll be eating and it’s an Italian family Christmas, so if all the goodies are out there I can’t resist.”

Salkilld has competed three times in 2026 and has scored a first-round finish in all of them, including an eye-catching TKO win over Beneil Dariush in Perth.

The 26-year-old gained global viral notoriety last year when he knocked out Nasrat Haqparast with a thunderous head kick.

At the time, commentator Jon Anik was telling a random story about Haqparast’s upbringing and his family owning a bakery, right as Salkilld landed the knockout blow in a moment that has since been replayed millions of times on social media.

Standing across the cage from Salkilld in the Harbour City in early-2027 will be long-time lightweight contender Saint-Denis.

The 30-year-old, who served in France’s special forces before starting his MMA career, is ranked seventh in the UFC rankings – one spot behind Salkilld, making this a crucial bout for both men and their respective careers.

Saint-Denis last fought on the UFC 329 card headlined by Conor McGregor, where he was submitted by cult hero Paddy Pimblett in round one.

Salkilld isn’t expecting anything to change with Saint-Denis despite the latest loss.

“Once we get in there, his fighting style is gonna be the exact same, he’s gonna be going balls to the wall and throwing caution to the win,” Salkilld said.

“That was his biggest mistake against Paddy. He put his head where it probably shouldn’t have been and he didn’t address the submission quick enough.

“That’s kind of his biggest con but it’s also his biggest pro, he likes bringing the fight to you and making it ugly and putting the pace on.”

Another victory for Salkilld on home soil would catapult him further into the stacked lightweight title mix which also features Pimblett, Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan and beloved champion Justin Gaethje.

Salkilld welcomes the challenge of stepping up in competition and carving his path towards championship gold, where he could join Alexander Volkanovski, Rob Whittaker and Jack Della Maddalena as Aussie UFC champs.

“I love being in the most stacked division and I wanna be at the top,” he said.

“I envisage myself winning against all of these guys, so it’s just about getting to that point and getting the opportunities to prove that to everyone else.”

UFC Fight Night: Sydney will take place on Sunday, February 7 at Afterpay Arena.