Salkilld KOs Dariush in Round 1 at UFC Perth

Quillan Salkilld delivered a stunning first-round knockout over veteran Beneil Dariush in the co-main event of UFC Perth on Saturday night at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

The 26-year-old Australian prospect stopped the No. 12-ranked lightweight with a barrage of strikes at 3:29 of Round 1, extending his unbeaten streak to 12 fights since his 2021 professional debut. Salkilld, now 5-0 in the UFC, absorbed an early knockdown from Dariush's jab, scrambled out of a grappling attempt along the fence, and countered with a powerful right hand that floored the 36-year-old American. Follow-up ground strikes prompted referee intervention, marking Salkilld's third knockout in his last five UFC appearances.

Dariush controlled the opening exchanges, dropping Salkilld and pressing in the clinch, but the younger fighter's resilience and power turned the tide. The victory follows Salkilld's recent submission of fellow Australian Jamie Mullarkey and a brutal knockout of Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, where Haqparast remained unconscious for minutes.

Ahead of the bout, Dariush arrived with a swollen right eye from repeated training mishaps, including a bumped head and a fingernail...