Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoit Saint Denis set for UFC Sydney
The unbeaten Australian black belt meets the French former special forces soldier on Feb. 6, 2027
Australian lightweight Quillan Salkilld will face France’s Benoit Saint Denis in the main event of UFC Sydney on Feb. 6, 2027. The UFC announced the matchup this week. Salkilld, 26, is unbeaten in the promotion, while Saint Denis, 30, is looking to bounce back from his loss to Paddy Pimblett.
It is a fight between two finishers who are dangerous on the mat. Salkilld is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and Saint Denis is a former French national Jiu-Jitsu champion.
Salkilld’s run in the UFC
Discovered on Dana White’s Contender Series, Salkilld is 6-0 in the Octagon. Five of those wins were finishes, and all five earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. His pro record stands at 13-1.
In 2026 he beat three well-known lightweights, all in the first round. He submitted Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 325 in Sydney in January, knocked out Beneil Dariush and submitted Mateusz Gamrot in August.
Born in Pinjarra, Western Australia, he trains at Luistro Combat Academy. Of his 13 wins, five came by knockout and five by submission, three of them rear-naked chokes.
Saint Denis and the loss to Pimblett
Saint Denis is 17-4. In July, at UFC 329, he was submitted in the first round by Paddy Pimblett, who recently made headlines when he said Movsar Evloev quit against Alexander Volkanovski.
The loss snapped a four-fight win streak for the Frenchman. During that run he stopped Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy, Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker. The Hooker win came on the same UFC 325 card in Sydney where Salkilld submitted Mullarkey.
Dariush is the common opponent: both men finished him. A former member of the French Army special forces, where he served for five years, Saint Denis has 11 of his 17 wins by submission, according to the UFC.
Saint Denis’s grappling outside MMA
The Frenchman has also tested his grappling outside the cage. In May 2024 he beat Marc Diakiese by decision in the no-gi main event of ADXC 4 in Paris.
Brazilian fans know Saint Denis for another reason. In September 2024 he headlined UFC Paris against Renato Moicano and lost by doctor stoppage after the second round. Moicano, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, faces Australia’s Tom Nolan this Saturday (Oct. 31) at UFC Vegas 123.
What is at stake at lightweight
According to the rankings on the UFC’s official website, Saint Denis is No. 6 at lightweight, one spot ahead of Salkilld. The winner in Sydney moves closer to the group fighting for the top spots in the division.
For Salkilld, it is a chance to stay unbeaten in the UFC in front of his home crowd against a former UFC headliner. For Saint Denis, it is a chance to show the Pimblett loss was just a stumble. No other bouts have been announced for the card yet.
Who are you picking: the unbeaten Salkilld at home or Saint Denis and his ground game? Tell us in the comments.
Read more:
- Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan headlines UFC Vegas 123
- Paddy Pimblett says Evloev quit against Volkanovski
- Charles Oliveira ready to give up BMF belt before UFC 335
