UFC Fight Night Perth Odds, Prediction: Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld

Quillan Salkilld will be looking extend his overall win streak in all competitions to 12 fights with his fifth straight UFC victory when he takes on fellow lightweight Beneil Dariush on Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 274 co-main event at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Salkilld returns to action in front of a hometown crowd after the 26-year-old Australian ended Jamie Mullarkey’s night with a first-round submission victory three months ago at UFC 325, improving his impressive pro MMA record to 11-1.

Dariush looks to get back after suffering a KO loss just 16 seconds into his date with Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 322, which marks his third defeat in four octagon appearances.

Salkilld has rocketed to a strong -500 favourite on the UFC Perth odds. Dariush lags as a distant +365 underdog, and the odds of this fight going a full three rounds are set at a lengthy +330.

Beneil Dariush UFC Odds

Beneil Dariush looks to be at a crossroads as he travels Down Under to take on rising star Quillan Salkilld. The 36-year-old clings to the No. 12 spot on the UFC lightweight rankings despite enduring the roughest stretch of his career, which has featured opening-round knockout losses to Saint-Denis, Arman Tsarukyan, and Charles Oliveira during his current 1-3 run.

Dariush’s current slide snaps an impressive eight-fight win streak that left most observers thinking he had arrived. But with the exception of his wins over Mateusz Gamrot and Tony Ferguson, most of those victories came against overmatched opponents.

However, Dariush’s versatility should not be underestimated. In addition to 10 wins by decision, he has recorded eight tap-outs and five knockouts, but can he bring the action to the mat before absorbing too many punches by the hard-hitting Australian, who will be backed by the crowd.

Quillan Salkilld UFC Odds

Quillan Salkilld has taken the UFC by storm since making his promotional debut early last year at UFC 325. The former Eternal MMA lightweight champion rebounded quickly from a second-round submission in his pro debut in 2021, posting six straight wins including a pair of Eternal MMA title defences, and punched his ticket to the UFC with a three-round unanimous win over Gauge Young at Dana White’s Contender Series 70.

Since then, he has claimed a trio of Performance of the Night bonuses while recording three victories inside five minutes to go along with a pair of nods from the judges during his first year as a UFC star.

Dariush represents Salkilld’s first UFC-ranked opponent but the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt looks to be up to the challenge after regularly proving he can finish opponents standing or on the mat, with four career knockouts and four submissions.

UFC Fight Night Perth Prediction: Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld

A classic case of two fighters headed in opposite directions. Look for Salkilld to finish things early, but he may have to wait for the second round to end things.

Prediction: Salkilld in round 2 (+400).