UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski shared his prediction for the upcoming main event at UFC Sydney.
The UFC Sydney card takes place on February 7, 2027, at Afterpay Arena in Sydney, Australia. The main event of the card features Australian rising star Quillan Salkilld taking on French finisher Benoit Saint Denis.
Ahead of the fight, Volkanovski — Australia’s best MMA fighter — shared his thoughts on the upcoming main event at Australia’s next UFC card.
Alexander Volkanovski Predicts Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoit Saint Denis
Speaking to UFC AUSNZ, Volkanovski broke down the upcoming lightweight main event at UFC Sydney between Salkilld and Saint Denis.
“We were talking about how stacked that division is. A win against ‘BSD,’ he should be fighting your Ilia’s (Topuria), Paddy’s (Pimblett), and all that, and then fighting for a title. How could he not? So, that’s huge. He’s on a tear. I like ‘BSD’, Quillan smokes him,” Volkanovski said (via Bloody Elbow).
Quillan Salkilld Is on a Roll
The 26-year-old Salkilld is on a roll right now, having gone 6-0 in the UFC with five wins by stoppage since he entered the Octagon in 2025.
In Salkilld’s last fight, he submitted Mateusz Gamrot for the biggest win of his career to date.
He now enters the elite of the lightweight division when he takes on Saint Denis, who, when he’s on his game, is one of the best fighters in the world at 155 lbs.
Saint Denis is coming off a submission loss to Paddy Pimblett in his last fight, which has him entering this bout with zero momentum, as he saw his four-fight win streak snapped with that loss to Pimblett.
That being said, Saint Denis is still an extremely dangerous fighter, especially in the first round, and he will do everything in his power to show that Salkilld isn’t as good as advertised, as he’s going to try his best to finish this fight early on.
We do not have betting odds yet for the UFC Sydney main event featuring Salkilld vs. Saint Denis, but given his hot streak and the hometown factor, look for Salkilld to be favored here.
Alexander Volkanovski Predicts UFC Sydney Main Event