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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West Australian
3 hours ago
- West Australian
UFC 316: West Australian MMA star Quillan Salkilld eyes Perth bout ahead of Yanal Ashmouz fight
Quillan Salkilld has plenty of reasons not to spend too much time in the octagon when he faces off against Yanal Ashmouz at UFC 316 in New Jersey on Sunday morning. Salkilld (8-1) is coming off an impressive 19-second TKO of Anshul Jubli in his UFC debut in February, with the right cross he landed stamping himself as a lightweight to watch. But the chance to feature on the Perth card which is scheduled for later this year is one the 25-year-old is eyeing off once he gets past Ashmouz (8-1). 'That's 100 per cent the goal. I heard the rumours (of Perth being) in September, so get through this one hopefully with no injuries or anything,' Salkilld told The West Australian. 'And I get back into camp and hopefully get onto the Perth card if it comes. 'I want to get as many fight as I can and just climb the rankings. There's nothing to specific right now, the long-term goal is to get to the belt and win the UFC championship, but at the moment it's just getting wins and great performances stacked under my belt.' Ashmouz — who is known as Red Fox — is a step up for Salkilld given the Israeli's experience and power, having claimed finishes in six of his eight career wins. Salkilld said he was wary of the many weapons that the 30-year-old brought to the table. 'It's his wildness on the feet, he throws some winging shots. That's always going to be dangerous,' he said. 'He's quite an athletic guy, so I don't want any of them to land clean. And his takedown is actually really nice, he's quite sharp with the takedowns. 'As long as I stay sharp and disciplined on the feet and use my range well and scramble like hell when he shoots I think I'm going to be just fine.'
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Sam Short was Australia's brightest hope on the first night of the Olympics. He flopped
'It just sucked. You dream your whole life about the Olympics and you miss out on the podium by, what, a fingernail? That's upsetting. 'I definitely wasn't myself in Paris. It was one of the lowest moments of my career, considering how hard I worked for it. It didn't pan out the way I wanted it to. 'I didn't really want to speak [to the media]. I kind of got in my head a little bit. I've definitely become mentally stronger over the last couple of months and done a lot of work with a sports psychologist.' Short will be back in the water next week at the Australian swimming trials in Adelaide, hoping to qualify for the world championships in Singapore that start on July 27. It was at last year's Olympic trials in Brisbane when it first emerged that Short wasn't at 100 per cent. He had been privately battling issues throughout the year. In January, Short tore the subscapularis muscle in his shoulder and was managing tendonitis and tennis elbow. Every stroke through the water was a painful reminder of what he was up against. He then picked up gastro before trials, losing five kilograms in the process. He made the Dolphins Olympic team, but admits there was an element of panic. Instead of resting, Short trained harder to make up for lost time — a decision that ultimately contributed to his struggles at the biggest moment of his career. 'I kind of just buried myself and ruined my immune system from that,' Short said. 'I was going into trials wounded. You always go into those things thinking you're going to be great. When you don't, it's a bit of a shock. 'If I'm doing 1000 strokes and eight kilometres a session, just to be fit enough for my races, that pain adds up through the whole week. It's really taxing … and gets very annoying, very quickly.' Short is at peace with what happened in Paris. Luck did not go his way, and he has already achieved much in a short career. Not once did he consider pulling out, despite knowing deep down his chances of success were slim — even if he finished less than a second behind 400m freestyle gold medallist Lukas Martens. 'I know other people that would do crazy stuff just for the opportunity I earned,' Short said. 'You've always got to step up.' Loading With his shoulder now feeling 'really strong', Short returned to the water. Instead of racing at Australia's national championships in April, Short found himself in Brazil, of all places, after a stint competing in the United States. His times were impressive, coming off a heavy block of altitude training. It bodes well for Monday night, when Short will race Olympic silver medallist Elijah Winnington in what will be one of the standout showdowns across six days of racing. Short's 400m freestyle time of three minutes, 43.84 seconds in April is the third-fastest in the world this year. 'I'm just so excited to race,' Short said. 'I've been training really well and I love the Adelaide pool. There's no way I won't be racing the best in the world again.' Titmus, who will be commentating for Channel Nine in Adelaide, says it's a hard race to call. 'I think there's hunger from both sides,' Titmus said. 'Although Elijah won a silver medal at the Olympics, which is outstanding, I believe he has more to give. Sam, I believe, has that hunger there that maybe Elijah doesn't. It'll be a wonderful race.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sam Short was Australia's brightest hope on the first night of the Olympics. He flopped
'It just sucked. You dream your whole life about the Olympics and you miss out on the podium by, what, a fingernail? That's upsetting. 'I definitely wasn't myself in Paris. It was one of the lowest moments of my career, considering how hard I worked for it. It didn't pan out the way I wanted it to. 'I didn't really want to speak [to the media]. I kind of got in my head a little bit. I've definitely become mentally stronger over the last couple of months and done a lot of work with a sports psychologist.' Short will be back in the water next week at the Australian swimming trials in Adelaide, hoping to qualify for the world championships in Singapore that start on July 27. It was at last year's Olympic trials in Brisbane when it first emerged that Short wasn't at 100 per cent. He had been privately battling issues throughout the year. In January, Short tore the subscapularis muscle in his shoulder and was managing tendonitis and tennis elbow. Every stroke through the water was a painful reminder of what he was up against. He then picked up gastro before trials, losing five kilograms in the process. He made the Dolphins Olympic team, but admits there was an element of panic. Instead of resting, Short trained harder to make up for lost time — a decision that ultimately contributed to his struggles at the biggest moment of his career. 'I kind of just buried myself and ruined my immune system from that,' Short said. 'I was going into trials wounded. You always go into those things thinking you're going to be great. When you don't, it's a bit of a shock. 'If I'm doing 1000 strokes and eight kilometres a session, just to be fit enough for my races, that pain adds up through the whole week. It's really taxing … and gets very annoying, very quickly.' Short is at peace with what happened in Paris. Luck did not go his way, and he has already achieved much in a short career. Not once did he consider pulling out, despite knowing deep down his chances of success were slim — even if he finished less than a second behind 400m freestyle gold medallist Lukas Martens. 'I know other people that would do crazy stuff just for the opportunity I earned,' Short said. 'You've always got to step up.' Loading With his shoulder now feeling 'really strong', Short returned to the water. Instead of racing at Australia's national championships in April, Short found himself in Brazil, of all places, after a stint competing in the United States. His times were impressive, coming off a heavy block of altitude training. It bodes well for Monday night, when Short will race Olympic silver medallist Elijah Winnington in what will be one of the standout showdowns across six days of racing. Short's 400m freestyle time of three minutes, 43.84 seconds in April is the third-fastest in the world this year. 'I'm just so excited to race,' Short said. 'I've been training really well and I love the Adelaide pool. There's no way I won't be racing the best in the world again.' Titmus, who will be commentating for Channel Nine in Adelaide, says it's a hard race to call. 'I think there's hunger from both sides,' Titmus said. 'Although Elijah won a silver medal at the Olympics, which is outstanding, I believe he has more to give. Sam, I believe, has that hunger there that maybe Elijah doesn't. It'll be a wonderful race.'
