Cameron Saaiman wasn’t sure he’d earn UFC contract: ‘Bit of a question mark because of my age’

UFC president Dana White said 21-year-old Cameron Saaiman had one of the best wins of the season.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Cameron Saaiman[/autotag] shined on Dana White’s Contender Series 51 but questioned if the UFC boss would sign him because of his age.

Saaiman (6-0) scored a third-round knockout of Josh Wang-Kim on Tuesday. The finish was undoubtedly a great one, but because the South African fighter is only 21, he wasn’t sure if the UFC would take a chance on him.

“There was still like a little bit of a question mark just because of my age,” Saaiman told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “But my head coach was happy, so I was happy. My team was happy, so I was happy with my performance, and once he said we got that contract, that was also a massive sigh of relief.”

Not only did White decide to sign him, but he named Saaiman as one of the most impressive fighters of this season, and Saaiman is happy to have notched a win over a formidable opponent in Wang-Kim.

“Very relieved,” Saaiman said. “A lot of pressure coming into this fight. I rate Josh Wang-Kim a lot. I respect him a lot. He’s a very good opponent and like I said, he’s the perfect opponent to make a Contender Series debut against, and it couldn’t have gone better, so I’m very grateful.”

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Dana White’s Contender Series 51: Best photos from Las Vegas

Check out these photos from Dana White’s Contender Series 51 in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from the fights at Dana White’s Contender Series 51 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of Joshua Hedges, UFC)

Dana White’s Contender Series adds ‘Twin Dragon’ Josh Wang-Kim vs. South African champ Cameron Saaiman

Two more UFC hopefuls will battle for a contract this summer in Las Vegas.

Two rising bantamweights from opposite corners of the globe will meet in Las Vegas with the opportunity to earn a UFC contract this summer.

One half of the “The Twin Dragons” [autotag]Josh Wang-Kim[/autotag] (5-1) will square off with EFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Cameron Saaiman[/autotag] (5-0) on Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 6. Their bout is scheduled for the Aug. 23 installment, DWCS 51.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Wang-Kim, 29, and his twin brother Josh, make up the professional MMA duo known as “The Twin Dragons.” The two brothers turned heads during their amateur careers, as they accumulated a combined record of 28-2 –  with 14 wins and one loss apiece. While John has been less active due to unexpected delays, Josh has finished four of his five wins. His only loss came via disqualification.

Saaiman, 21, made his professional MMA debut at 19 years old. He quickly shot up the EFC ladder en route to a title clinching win over Sindile Manengela in June. Four of his five professional victories came by stoppage.

To see an entire DWCS, Season 6 lineup, click here.

The up-to-date DWCS 51 card includes:

  • Rayanne Amanda vs. Denise Gomes
  • Jesus Santos Aguilar vs. Erisson Ferreira
  • Eduardo Neves vs. Michael Parkin
  • Cameron Saaiman vs. Josh Wang-Kim

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