Fighters on the Rise | UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2
Identifying Three Emerging Names You Need To Know Heading Into UFC 325
Alexander Gustafsson, Robert Whittaker, and Alexander Volkanovski all had early breakout performances in Sydney over the course of their career, while last year’s venture to Qudos Bank Arena delivered several noteworthy performances from debutants and neophytes alike as well.
As the Octagon returns to the capital of New South Wales and Australia’s most populous city, it’s time to shine a spotlight on a trio of up-and-coming competitors set to make the walk this weekend who have already shown promise and could take another step forward this weekend.
Welcome to Fighters on the Rise for UFC 325.
Quillan Salkilld
Salkilld was at the top of most “Rookie of the Year” lists in 2025 after posting three wins in as many starts and going from debuting to standing on the doorstep of the Top 15 in his first year on the roster. Now, the Perth man enters his sophomore campaign as one of the most popular potential breakout candidates, aiming to build on that tremendous Year 1 success.
The 26-year-old is a perfect illustration of how timing — and making the most of the opportunities in front of you — can have a massive impact, even in a short period of time. Having won and successfully defended the Eternal MMA lightweight title a of couple times, Salkilld was clearly a quality prospect, and his Dana White’s Contender Series win over Gauge Young confirmed that he was UFC caliber.
Blasting Anshul Jubli in 19 seconds on the opening bout of last year’s pay-per-view card in Sydney caught everyone’s attention, but a grimy win over Yanal Ashmouz seemed to cool things just a little, despite his earning a second straight UFC win.
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Then in October, the Luistro Combat Academy representative got a late call to face Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, where he rolled into the Octagon and put shin to temple at the literal midway point of the opening round to wrap up a 3-0 rookie campaign with style points.
After initially being booked opposite Rongzhu in an intriguing clash of emerging lightweights, Salkilld is instead slated to face off with fellow Aussie Jamie Mullarkey, who raised his hand when the young Chinese veteran was forced to withdraw.
It’s a quality “hype check” opportunity — the kind of fight everyone expects the DWCS grad to win handily, but one that is far tougher than most truly recognize, and a good way to measure what is reasonable to expect from Salkilld in Year 2.
Billy Elekana
Elekana’s freshman year in the UFC wasn’t as straightforward and successful as Salkilld’s, but in a way, that makes his inclusion on this list and how he enters 2026 even more intriguing.
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The Las Vegas-based light heavyweight was a late call-up for UFC 311 in Los Angeles in January, tabbed to replace Johnny Walker in a bout against streaking hitter Bogdan Guskov. Elekana put up a valiant fight, but was ultimately submitted in the second round, which halted his modest three-fight winning streak and left him as a question mark in the 205-pound ranks.
As Guskov has continued climbing, the 30-year-old Elekana has rebounded nicely, positioning himself as someone to keep tabs on as we kick off this year.
In July, he picked up his first UFC victory, out-working Ibo Aslan to hand the once-hyped prospect his second straight defeat and get things moving in the right direction again. Then on November 1, “Son of Susie” collected a first-round submission finish of Kevin Christian, dominating the contest and showing another element of his game while pushing his record to 9-2 overall with his second career submission victory.
The light heavyweight division is realigning at the moment, and Elekana is clearly making a push for inclusion in the Top 15. While a win over Junior Tafa on Saturday at UFC 325 isn’t necessarily going to be what earns him a number next to his name — though it could — it would almost assuredly position him to face a ranked opponent next time out.
And while we all know MMA math isn’t a real thing, who you face and how those results age over time is, and with Guskov currently riding a five-fight unbeaten streak and sitting at No. 10 in the rankings, that debut loss last January has taken on a whole different appearance one year later.
Cam Rowston
Rowston was one of eight members of the DWCS Class of ’25 to earn a contract and log their first UFC appearance before the end of the year, asking for and receiving the opportunity to make a hasty turnaround and compete in Perth in September after claiming his place on the roster in the second week of the season.
Training out of City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand, Rowston dropped his first appearance on the annual talent-search series to Torrez Finney but went on to stoppage wins on the regional scene before blowing through Brandon Holmes in his return to Las Vegas last August.
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Five weeks later, he was in Perth, competing in his home country, alongside several of his teammates in his UFC debut. Not at all bothered by the moment, the tall and dangerous middleweight needed a shade under three minutes to finish Andre Petroski and collect his first UFC win.
The Syndeysider has a sense of urgency about his career and the opportunity before him, having recently turned 31 and already logged a decade as a pro. He’s 13-3 overall with all but one of those wins coming inside the distance, has only ever lost to UFC-level talents, and trains with an outstanding collection of fighters and coaches, all of which combine to make the six-foot-three sophomore a fascinating individual to track in the 185-pound weight class.
Rowston faces Cody Brundage on Saturday — his second straight assignment against a tenured veteran, which tells you that the UFC brass is keen to see how quickly he can rise through the ranks.
He playfully aped teammate Israel Adesanya’s post-fight speech following his own debut win in Perth several years earlier in September, and could very well be the next member of the CKB crew to make a push towards a Top 5 ranking in the UFC.
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 took place live from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia on January 31, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!