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Electric Bantamweights (135 lb) will meet in this contest as the UFC 285 Early Prelims continue on ESPN+. Mana Martinez will look to make his home state of Texas proud as he squares off against South Africa's newest talent Cameron Saaiman. Both fighters will be in the biggest spot of their careers on the undercard of a major PayPerView event. Check out our UFC odds series for our Martinez-Saaiman prediction and pick.
Mana Martinez is 10-3 in his career and has gone 2-1 in the UFC. He won his last fight against Brandon Davis (14-9) in a close split-decision that caused some controversy. His only other UFC win ended the same way as he edged out Guido Cannetti (8-5). He has a lot of talent but will look to put it all together for the first time and walk away with a finish against Cameron Saaiman. Martinez stands 5'10” with a 70-inch reach.
Cameron Saaiman is undefeated at 7-0 in his career and will be appearing in his second UFC fight after securing a contract on DWCS and winning his debut fight in impressive fashion. Saaiman showed his exciting fight style in his audition fight, but showed an even more matured game against an extremely tough opponent in Steven Koslow (6-1). He'll look to impress once again as a big favorite in this fight. Saaiman stands 5'8″ with a 67-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 285 Odds: Mana Martinez-Cameron Saaiman Odds
Mana Martinez: +225
Cameron Saaiman: -290
Over (2.5) rounds: -120
Under (2.5) rounds: -106
How to Watch Mana Martinez vs. Cameron Saaiman
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET/ 2:30 p.m. PT (Early Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Mana Martinez Will Win
Mana Martinez will be hoping to put together a more complete performance than his last few times out. He has a very high output in his striking and is always stringing together multiple combinations. He's very active with his kicks and will throw a number of wild, spinning attacks. However, the issue for him is that he does so in short spurts and fights defensively the rest of the time. He's been able to edge out a few of his opponents due to big shots and persuasive moments in the fight, but he won't have much room to take a fundamental Saaiman to a decision here.
The biggest key for Mana Martinez will be to keep his output consistent and not open himself up too much when throwing shots. He tends to leave his hands down when he throws, which is a mistake when dealing with Saaiman's counter-punching. Martinez will have to keep his shots crisp and be diligent in covering up his head if he wants to win as an underdog.
Why Cameron Saaiman Will Win
Cameron Saaiman continues to look better each time he fights and has shown that the ceiling for his potential is extremely high. He has a very high fight-IQ and doesn't put himself in dangerous spots. He's very athletic in the way he bounces around the cage and keeps his striking output high with constant jabs. He's eager to kick and strike to the body. If the fight hits the ground, Saaiman is extremely explosive in his wrestling transitions and can flip position in a hurry. He'll have a number of physical and speed advantages over his opponent.
The biggest weakness in Saaiman's game has been his propensity to take heavy shots. Granted he's displayed a great chin in all his fights and doesn't seem too fazed in a back-and-forth war, he won't want to take too much damage moving forward given how young he still is. Mana Martinez will be looking for exactly that, so Saaiman will have to be extremely patient and counter the big attacks of Martinez. If he can slow this down and fight his style, he'll be able to easily cruise to a win here. However, it won't go as smoothly if Saaiman leaves his hands down in the boxing exchanges.
Final Mana Martinez-Cameron Saaiman Prediction & Pick
Mana Martinez is a tough outing for any young fighter, but this seems like a spot where Cameron Saaiman continues to improve in a big way. He's mature beyond his years and has a great camp in South Africa. The prediction is for Saaiman to control this fight and get another confidence-building win. Try using him as a parlay piece.
Final Mana Martinez-Cameron Saaiman Prediction & Pick: Cameron Saaiman (-290)
