Cameron Saaiman wants on London card, then will make push for UFC South Africa
LAS VEGAS – Cameron Saaiman beat Steven Koslow with third-round TKO Saturday to open up the preliminary card at UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Saaiman, a Dana White’s Contender Series product who picked up a win and bonus in his UFC debut.
Steven Koslow vs. Cameron Saaiman
Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Cameron Saaiman (red gloves) reacts to after fighting Steven Koslow (blue gloves) during UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Result: Cameron Saaiman def. Steven Koslow via TKO (punches, knees) – Round 3, 4:13
Updated records: Saaiman (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Koslow (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Although Koslow landed five takedowns, Saaiman outstruck him 105-20.
Saaiman on the fight's key moment
Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Cameron Saaiman (red gloves) fights Steven Koslow (blue gloves) during UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
“I definitely underestimated how tight he was on the ground. I do have a lot of faith in my grappling, as well, but he was super tight. A lot of stuff we wanted to implement just took a little longer.”
Saaiman on getting his debut win
Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Cameron Saaiman (red gloves) reacts during the fight against Steven Koslow (blue gloves) during UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
“(I’m) super grateful for the whole experience. It’s been absolutely amazing. We’ve been here for 12 days. Traveling from South Africa is a tall task – acclimatizing and all that. It’s been really awesome. Fight Week was absolutely amazing.”
Saaiman on what he wants next
Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Cameron Saaiman (red gloves) fights Steven Koslow (blue gloves) during UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
“After this experience, coming off the Contender Series jumping onto a pay-per-view card, it comes with a lot of pressure. Going through this, I know I can handle that. I want to go to London. I want to experience their fans just like I experienced the Vegas ones, and I think that’s a massive card I would like to be a part of.”
To hear more from Saaiman, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.
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