Quillan Salkilld said fans were seriously upset with him for winning via submission against Jamie Mullarkey when they expected a knockout. He explained that people often don't realize how difficult it is to finish opponents at the UFC level. Salkilld had to apologize because fans only saw his previous knockouts and assumed he was strictly a striker, not understanding he also has grappling skills. He joked about the backlash, noting that fans were genuinely mad he submitted his opponent instead of knocking him out.
Quillan Salkilld has laughed off an unexpected wave of fan frustration directed at him following his submission victory over fellow Australian Jamie Mullarkey, admitting he actually had to apologize to supporters who were hoping to see a knockout.
Salkilld, 26, explained that the backlash stemmed from his reputation as a finisher on the feet. Fans who had watched his previous knockout wins simply did not expect him to go to the ground and tap Mullarkey out, and some were genuinely annoyed when he did. He acknowledged the irony, noting that people rarely appreciate just how hard it is to finish anyone at the UFC level by any method.
The ranked lightweight sits at number 15 in the division with a record of 12 wins and just one loss. Standing six feet tall with a 75-inch reach, Salkilld fights out of Luistro Combat Academy and is one of the more statistically active fighters in the lightweight division, landing 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy. What the knockout-hungry fans may have overlooked is that his grappling numbers are equally striking — he averages 7.95 takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that points to a genuinely well-rounded skill set.
Mullarkey, also 31 and Australian, came in with an 18-9 record and trains out of Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA. He shares the same six-foot height as Salkilld but carries a slightly shorter reach at 74 inches. A volume striker himself at 4.1 significant strikes per minute, Mullarkey has rarely been troubled by submission attempts throughout his career, averaging just 0.1 of his own per 15 minutes, which underlines how notable it was that Salkilld was able to put him away on the ground.
Why it matters
- Salkilld's submission win demonstrates genuine two-dimensional finishing ability, not just knockout power
- At 15th in the lightweight rankings, Salkilld is positioning himself as a credible contender in a deep division
- The all-Australian matchup between two orthodox fighters of identical height added an extra layer of fan investment and expectation
