Broome Lightweight champion Quillan Salkilld robbed of opportunity as opponent drops out of bout

In a surprising turn of events, the much anticipated lightweight bout between Broome’s Quillan Salkilld and Korea’s Jae Hyun Park on The Road to UFC was cancelled just hours before it was due to take place. On the morning of the bout, both fighters successfully made weight at 155lbs, however, the fight was abruptly called off due to unexpected circumstances surrounding another lightweight contender. Bahatebole Batebolati, a participant in the Road to UFC tournament, missed weight by a significant margin, coming in 5lbs over the limit. In response to this weight discrepancy, Jae Hyun Park was asked to step in as a replacement for Batebolati in the tournament, leaving Quillan Salkilld without an opponent. Despite the disappointment and missed opportunity, the fighter’s team expressed gratitude towards all the sponsors who played a crucial role in making the trip to Singapore possible, as well as the loyal fans who were following Salkilld from back home. “Though disappointed, we are in good spirits,” a statement from Salkilld’s team read on Instagram. “This doesn’t change the ultimate goal, and the team is looking towards the future. Quillan poses a threat to any lightweight he gets matched up with.” It comes after a stellar year for the young fighter who just months ago became the Eternal MMA Lightweight Champion after taking down previous title holder Blake Donnelly with a first round knockout in just 32 seconds at Eternal MMA 76.