Quillan Salkilld got off to a memorable debut in the Universal Fight Championship (UFC), knocking out India’s Anshul Jubli with a single punch in just 19 seconds. Salkilld headed into the fight at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, as an outright favourite but even the bookmakers didn’t predict that the local boy would emerge victorious in this fashion in such a short span of time. There were also some protests after Jubli was knocked out, with suggestions emerging that the referee acted prematurely and decided the game in the Australian’s favour when then Indian wasn’t really out.
Jubli did try to test Salkilld with a punch to the body but the Australian fighter seemed absolutely unfazed by the impact. Salkilld then faked a jab at Jubli before landing a brutal right-handed punch that the Indian just wasn’t prepared for.
As a result, Jubli fell down. Just as Salkilld looked to land another blow to the already floored Jubli, the referee intervened and stopped the fight. Here’s the video:
Quillan Salkilld finishes Anshul Jubli #UFC312 pic.twitter.com/VihLRl70K8
— Haduucken (@Haduuuucken) February 8, 2025
Jubli, however, argued later on that he wasn’t all out and wanted to continue the fight before the referee intervened. He even protested his stoppage instantly by reaching for his opponent’s leg in a desperate attempt to continue fighting. The referee, however, had made his call and there was no turning back.
Opinions were divided on social media, on whether the referee was right to call off the fight when Jubli went down. No. 10 ranked UFC lightweight Renato Moicano was one of those big names from the MMA fraternity who said that the fight shouldn’t have been stopped.
“20 years to have an Indian in UFC and the referee does that (laughing emojis),” he said.
It was only the second UFC appearance for India’s Anshul Jubli who had high hopes for himself against the local-favourite Salkilld.
On his debut, Jubli had produced a valiant fight that saw him impress everyone in the first couple of rounds. However, the table turned in the third round as the Indian got overwhelmed by his opponent’s change in gear.
“I would say that now I’ve had the experience of fighting with a big crowd watching you. There was a lot of adrenalin and I was very excited in my last fight even before I stepped into the octagon. Backstage I could hear the crowd’s cheers and it was the first time I performed in front of 50,000 people,” Jubli had said before Sunday’s match.
“But I don’t think it will happen this time. I have experienced it. Now I have only one job. I have to do what I do best. And I have to come back with the win,” he had added.
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