Credit: Zuffa LLC
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski expects big things from his up-and-coming star teammate Quillan Salkilld.
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his title last weekend against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333. Volkanovski knocked out Evloev in Round 2 of the UFC 333 main event to add another victory to his legacy.
Just hours after Volkanovski’s highlight-reel KO, his teammate Quillan Salkilld was announced as the headliner for UFC Sydney against Benoit Saint-Denis. Salkilld vs. Saint-Denis marks the UFC’s return to Sydney on February 7th.
Salkilld will appear in his second-straight UFC main event after dismantling Mateusz Gamrot earlier this year. A win over Saint-Denis could potentially catapult Salkilld into a title eliminator bout.
Saint-Denis is a tough test for Salkilld, but Volkanovski expects his teammate to make the fight look easy at UFC Sydney.
Alexander Volkanovski high on Quillan Salkilld’s UFC Sydney showcase
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Volkanovski reacted to the news of Salkilld’s biggest fight of his career.
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“Happy for Quillan, that’s a big fight,” Volkanovski said of Salkilld.
“Obviously it gets him right there, as well. It gets him right in the picture of – well, sort of even the Gamrot fight gets him right in that picture, but BSD, he’s still pretty high up. Now he’s getting closer and closer, and we’re talking about how stacked that division is.
“A win against BSD, he should be fighting your Ilia’s, Paddy’s, and all that, and then fighting for a title,” Volkanovski continued on Salkilld. “How could he not? So, that’s huge. He’s on a tear. I like BSD, (but) Quillan smokes him.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Volkanovski recently teased joining Salkilld in the lightweight division for a potential super fight against titleholder Justin Gaethje. Win or lose, Volkanovski plans to retire after/if a matchup with Gaethje comes to fruition.
What is your prediction for Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoit Saint-Denis? Share your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
