There are plenty of easier ways to climb the UFC ladder than calling out Mateusz Gamrot.
Fighters have spent years trying to avoid the Polish boogeyman, an elite chain grappler whose style has made him one of the division’s biggest headaches.
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Quillan Salkilld, however, wanted exactly that.
In fact, the West Aussie phenom says Gamrot’s reputation was the reason he called him out.
“He’s a tough bloke, and I want the hard fights,” Salkilld told Fox Sports Australia.
“I’m not looking to cherry-pick my way to the top of the division.
“I want these tough tests that are going to put respect on my name when I get to the top.
“I’ve been looking at him for quite a while, and I respect his skill set, and I’m ready to take him on this weekend.”
When the call finally came, however, even Salkilld admits he was caught a little off guard.
Not only had the UFC granted his wish to fight Gamrot, it had also handed the Aussie his first-ever main event.
“When they called up I was like, “F**k yeah, let’s go!’” he grinned.
“I was pumped up.
“It’s cool because I didn’t exactly expect it to be like a main event.”
It’s been one hell of a ride.
Since arriving in the UFC, the 26-year-old has delivered, racking up wins, collecting bonuses and quickly becoming one of the hottest young prospects in the entire sport.
Away from the cage, Salkilld has built a reputation as one of Aussie MMA’s biggest characters, happily sharing stories about splashing his cash on cars and trying his luck at the casino.
Which naturally raises the question: how is he handling fight week in Las Vegas?
“I’ll check all it out after the fight,” he laughed.
“But I’ve been a good boy, just training all the time.
“It’s been kind of boring to be honest, just because I’ve been training so much.”
Mind you… there has been one exception.
Salkilld has been seen getting around Sin City behind the wheel of a black Ferrari.
“I’ve been zipping around in that for fight week,” he said.
“I’ve also been driving the lads that are training with me around in a big van – and I much prefer driving the Ferrari.”
Asked if a Ferrari purchase was on the cards in the next few years, Salkilld nodded.
“Hell yeah!” he said.
“And it won’t be a few years – it’ll be sooner than that.”
Of course, once the Octagon door closes, the Ferraris will be the last thing on his mind.
Gamrot is coming off a submission win at UFC 327 over Esteban Ribovics and has notable victories over the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Arman Tsarukyan, Rafael Fiziev and Jalin Turner.
Still, Gamrot has never shared the cage with a moustachioed West Aussie.
“I’m gonna be showing off my own grappling,” he said.
“I know he’s gonna shoot on me early on and stay sticky.
“He puts on a very high pace.”
“I’m looking to scramble and I’ll be going through all these different positions. We’re going to look like a tumbleweed rolling around that cage.
“I’ll be looking to get back up to my feet and hit him in the face really hard.”
Sunday is also about extending one of the hottest runs in MMA.
The West Aussie enters Saturday riding a five-fight winning streak, with four first-round finishes and four Performance of the Night bonuses to his name.
And if everything goes to plan, he expects to be cashing another bonus cheque this weekend.
“I want the finish early,” he said.
“I don’t want to stay in there longer than I have to.
“But I’m prepared for five rounds of pain and pure grit.
“I want another first-round finish. I want to keep the streak going.”
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And if he gets it done?
“We’re going to the club,” he laughed.
“We’re going out and are getting maggot.
“I’m just gonna let Vegas take me, and we’ll see what happens.
“We’ll see how banged up I am after the fight, I may need someone to push me in a wheelchair if I’ve hurt my feet…
“And my dad’s over here too – and he brought over a bottle of Bundy rum.”