Abu Dhabi — Quillan Salkilld had a very memorable night at UFC 321, with arguably the biggest moment on the card at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
It was an opportunity Salkilld jumped on short-notice, in part due to the name he’d be facing: Nasrat Haqparast, now a longtime member of the UFC roster.
Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following a thunderous (and scary) head kick KO of Haqparast, Salkilld (10-1) admitted that he’d been a “bit worried about the weight to be honest.”
Still, he “ended up getting the job done weight-wise,” and, having flown over to Abu Dhabi, was “looking to do something special. Big name, big card, just looking to do something to make this story-like. Gangster sh*t. I think I achieved that tonight.”
Achieve it he did. While he hurt his leg “on impact,” adding “it doesn’t feel too great right now, but worth it,” it’s nothing compared to what Haqparast endured. Salkilld’s head kick sailed over the arm, connecting flush with that side of Haqparast’s head. He wound up planted face down, legs twitching, and did not get back up for several minutes.
“It was a little bit scary after a couple minutes, and he was still not getting up. I was getting a bit worried, as you do,” admitted Salkilld. “I understand it’s part of the game, and it could easily be me in that situation as well. This is what we sign up for as fighters. We’re on public display, our best moments and also our worst moments.”
“I wish it didn’t go that way where he was out that long, but that’s just the way it happened,” he added.
That big finish should set Salkilld up for a big fight moving forward, and he’s hoping to land a spot on the next Australian card, against a top 15 name.
Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Quillan Salkilld above.
