Quillan Salkilld revealed that fans were seriously upset with him for finishing Jamie Mullarkey via submission when they expected a knockout. Salkilld explained that people don't realize how difficult it is to finish opponents at the UFC level and that he had to apologize because fans only knew him as a knockout artist. He noted that fans didn't know he could grapple and were frustrated when he submitted his opponent instead of knocking him out. Looking ahead, Salkilld said he'll try to knock out his next opponent but will simply aim to win however possible.
Quillan Salkilld has opened up about an unexpected backlash from his own fanbase after submitting Jamie Mullarkey, revealing that supporters were genuinely upset he won by grappling rather than by knockout.
The 26-year-old Australian lightweight, now 12-1 and ranked 15th in the division, had built his reputation almost entirely as a knockout artist. Competing out of Luistro Combat Academy, Salkilld stands six feet tall with a 75-inch reach and lands an impressive 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy — numbers that explain why fans expected him to put Mullarkey away with his hands. What surprised them was that Salkilld also averages 7.95 takedowns per 15 minutes, a stat most of his followers apparently had no idea existed.
Mullarkey, a fellow Australian and a seasoned lightweight at 18-9, brought plenty of experience into their matchup. The 31-year-old out of Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA lands 4.1 significant strikes per minute and has shown durability throughout a lengthy UFC career, which may have made a clean knockout finish harder to secure than fans anticipated.
Salkilld said he felt compelled to apologize to fans who only knew one side of his game, and he acknowledged that people underestimate just how difficult it is to finish opponents at the UFC level by any method. He added that while he will look to knock out his next opponent, his real priority is simply to get his hand raised however the fight demands.
Why it matters
- Salkilld's submission win revealed a complete skill set that casual fans had overlooked, making him a more unpredictable matchup at 155 pounds
- A top-15 ranking at just 26 years old means the trajectory matters — how he finishes fights could influence which opponents he attracts next
- The episode highlights the gap between fighter identity and actual in-cage versatility at the elite level
