Cameron Saaiman vs Christian Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 230
CAMERON SAAIMAN VS CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 230? Saturday 14October, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 230? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 230?
What channel is UFC Fight Night 230 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 230? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
CAMERON SAAIMAN VS CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ LOWDOWN
Cameron Saaiman (9-0) announced himself in style by smoking Josh Wang-Kim (2022) on the Contender Series. He made his UFC debut at UFC 282 and marked his fourth performance of the year with a brilliant TKO over Steven Koslow. He then met Mana Martinez (2023) at UFC 285 earning a unanimous decision which led to this pairing at UFC 290. Unfortunately, Rodriguez had to pull out with an injury with Terence Mitchell filling the void only to get erased in the first round extending Saaiman’s unbeaten run to nine.
Many were excited to Christian Rodriguez (9-1) return after derailing one of the biggest hype trains at the time. He suffered his first loss on debut although he stepped up to featherweight on short notice to take on Jonathan Pearce (2022) who sealed a unanimous decision. He bounced back by submitting Josh Weems (2022) before getting paired with Raul Rosas Jr. He humbled the prodigy, capitalizing on an empty gas tank and walking away with a classy unanimous decision.
CAMERON SAAIMAN VS CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ PREDICTION
It is great to see these two exciting prospects finally meet. Rodriguez is a mature fighter and brilliant striker. Saaiman is also an excellent striker with powerful leg kicks. He also has solid jiu-jitsu and will be confident wherever the fight goes.
We may see more of his wrestling here as Rodriguez’s takedown defence has been a glaring hole in his game getting taken down in all of his UFC fights including his appearance on the Contender Series. That said, we expect the South African to rely on his bread and butter which is his kickboxing.
Rodriguez is the favourite which smells of recency bias. Saaiman has not fought the calibre of opponents Rodriguez has, but we feel he has the tools to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Saaiman via Decision
