UFC cookie monster out to back up 19-second masterclass
Quillan Salkilld needed just 19 seconds to taste victory in his UFC debut, now he hopes there will be another memorable ending and lots of celebratory cookies this weekend.
Salkilld announced himself as a star of the future in February when he knocked down Anshul Jubli with a vicious right in the opening seconds of their UFC 312 lightweight showdown in Sydney.
The performance earned Salkilld a $50,000 fight-of-the-night bonus, but it also left the West Australian with a problem.
How can he ever top that stunning display?
Fans are about to find out when Salkilld (8-1) takes on Yanal Ashmouz at UFC 316 in New Jersey this weekend.
"It was like a fairytale ending," Salkilld said of his 19-second debut.
"The way it ended like that, getting the performance of the night bonus in my home country, it couldn't have gone any better.
"I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to top that, which is going to be pretty bloody hard."
Salkilld has been training intensely while giving up his favourite foods - with cookies being on top of the banned list.
"Cookies mate, that gets me," Salkilld said.
"I eat generally clean, but I've got a bit sweet tooth. I've just got to stay away from that in fight camp. For me that's depressing.
"I'm in good nick right now. Staying away from the chocolates, the cookies, the cake.
"It's been a good six weeks. I'm shredded right now, so it's worth it."
So how does he plan to celebrate if he defeats Ashmouz to make it a perfect 2-0 start to his UFC career?
"By just eating like a pig. Smoking a couple of cigars and eating all the cookies I want," he said with a laugh.
The headline act for UFC 316 will be the bout between bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and No.1 challenger Sean O'Malley.
The co-main event will see women's bantamweight champion Julianna Pena up against two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison.
Salkilld was born in Pinjarra, 80km south of Perth.
But the 25-year-old spent most of his childhood in the picturesque resort town of Broome, a high-profile tourist destination in the Kimberley region that is a 1600km flight north from Perth.
The emergence of Salkilld continues a factory line of UFC fighters from WA, which includes new welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena.
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