UFC Vegas 120 Quick Results: Quillan Salkilld Stops Gamrot in Round 1

Quillan Salkilld established himself as a genuine lightweight title contender with a dominant first-round victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Vegas 120.

Salkilld showed new wrinkles to his game, dropping Gamrot with a precise left hand early before controlling the grappling exchanges and ultimately securing a rear-naked choke.

Further down the main card, Yadier Del Valle blasted Darren Elkins into retirement, while Diego Ferreira, Alexia Thainara and Ty Miller all earned impressive victories.

Quillan Salkilld propelled himself into the upper echelons of the UFC lightweight division with an extremely impressive first-round rear-naked choke victory over Mateusz Gamrot.

In the early exchanges, Salkilld dropped Gamrot with a left hook, which forced Gamrot to resort to his wrestling. A big talking point in the build-up to this bout was the wrestling, but Salkilld proved he was more than equal to the threat.

He continuously defended takedown attempts, landed a takedown of his own and out-scrambled Gamrot. It was one of these scrambles that led to the Australian taking Gamrot’s back before eventually seizing the opportunity to sink in a rear-naked choke.

Salkilld was already carrying serious momentum heading into this matchup, but this result likely means he will face a top-five opponent next.

For Gamrot, this leaves him 2-3 in his last five fights. He’s consistently faced the top competition the lightweight division has to offer, but at 35 years old and coming off a loss to a rising prospect, it’s unlikely we’ll see another title run from The Gamer.

Darren Elkins made his 31st and final appearance in the UFC Octagon against Yadier Del Valle. However, he didn’t get the fairytale ending he would’ve hoped for.

Just 35 seconds into the first round, Del Valle landed a devastating left hand which sent Elkins crashing to the mat, and the referee waved off the fight.

Despite the unfortunate ending, Elkins remained positive in his post-fight speech, indicative of the spirit he displayed over his 16-year tenure in the UFC. When asked about his emotions on retiring, Elkins kept his answer simple: ‘Gratitude’.

The blistering performance from Del Valle was an ideal way to bounce back from his first career loss and will remind UFC featherweights of the threat that he poses.

Diego Ferreira comfortably defeated Billy Quarantillo in the co-main event after a one-sided beatdown saw him win 30-27 on all three scorecards.

Alexia Thainara extended her winning streak to 13, comfortably defeating Amanda Lemos by unanimous decision after controlling the majority of the fight with her clinch work.

Ty Miller impressed, outclassing Billy Ray Goff with a stunning display of striking which culminated in a third-round TKO.

Main Card

Quillan Salkilld def. Mateusz Gamrot via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:25
Diego Ferreira def. Billy Quarantillo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Yadier Del Valle def. Darren Elkins via TKO (strikes), Round 1, 0:35
Alexia Thainara def. Amanda Lemos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Ty Miller def. Billy Ray Goff via TKO (strikes), Round 3, 0:15

Preliminary Card

Steven Asplund def. Guilherme Pat via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Diyar Nurgozhay def. Bruno Lopes via TKO (strikes), Round 1, 4:59
Jose Montanha def. Louie Sutherland via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 1:50
Manoel Sousa def. Richie Miranda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Miles Johns def. Gianni Vazquez via TKO (strikes), Round 1, 3:09
Julianna Miller def. Ravena Oliveira via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:38
Carol Foro def. Gigi Canuto via unanimous decision

Salkilld proved the plaudits he was receiving were warranted and showed that he truly belongs among the elite of the UFC lightweight division. The potential opponents waiting for him in the top five present some fascinating matchups, but it remains to be seen if he can go all the way.