Things got off to a fast start at UFC 312 — first punch of the night, fast.
Lightweight prospect Quillan Salkilld needed just one strike and 19 seconds to make a statement in his debut at Saturday’s pay-per-view Down Under in Sydney, Australia.
The Perth native, who earned a contract by way of Dana White’s Contender Series, opened his Octagon account in style, flooring Anshul Jubli with a clean right hand on home soil.
Despite the Indian fighter immediately looking to grapple his way out of the situation, the referee had seen enough.
25-year-old Salkilld is now 8-1 as a professional, with six of his wins coming via finishes. Jubli, meanwhile, has lost back-to-back fights since winning the Road to UFC tournament.
Tonight’s UFC 312 PPV will be headlined by two title fights, with Dricus Du Plessis defending his middleweight belt in a rematch against Sean Strickland and strawweight queen Zhang Weili facing a challenge from undefeated contender Tatiana Suarez.
