Quillan Salkilld revealed a potential knee injury sustained during his first-round rear-naked choke victory over Mateusz Gamrot in the UFC Vegas 120 main event. The Australian lightweight said he heard a pop during an early wrestling exchange in which Gamrot grabbed his ankle, forcing the knee to an awkward angle. Salkilld pushed through the discomfort to finish the fight but said the knee was sore afterwards and that he plans to have it examined by a doctor before looking ahead to his next bout.
Quillan Salkilld walked away from his UFC Vegas 120 main event victory over Mateusz Gamrot with a potential knee injury, revealing after the fight that he may have damaged the joint during a wrestling scramble in the opening round.
Salkilld, who finished Gamrot by rear-naked choke in the first round, said he heard a pop when Gamrot grabbed his ankle early in the bout, twisting the knee into an awkward position. The 26-year-old Australian pushed through the discomfort to complete the finish but acknowledged the knee was sore following the win. He said he intends to have it examined by a doctor before turning his attention to what comes next in his career.
The victory improves Salkilld's professional record to 13-1-0. The Sydney-born lightweight sits at number 12 in the divisional rankings and has built a reputation as a high-volume wrestler, averaging 7.25 takedowns per 15 minutes. His striking has also been sharp, with 5.01 significant strikes landed per minute at 57 percent accuracy, numbers that place him among the more complete lightweights on the roster. He trains out of Luistro Combat Academy.
Gamrot, ranked eighth in the division coming in, now falls to 26-5-0. The 35-year-old Polish fighter out of American Top Team brought considerable experience into the main event, averaging 5.22 takedowns per 15 minutes himself. The matchup on the feet was always likely to be secondary, given both men's wrestling credentials, and it was ultimately a grappling exchange that produced both the finish and the injury in question.
Why it matters
- Salkilld's main-event win vaults him into a stronger divisional position despite a potential layoff for medical evaluation
- A knee injury could delay what had been building momentum for the 26-year-old inside the top 15 at lightweight
- Gamrot's loss drops the ranked veteran back at a stage of his career where wins against rising contenders are critical
