Malcolm Wellmaker shined bright in his octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 66 with a highlight-reel knockout of Cameron Saaiman. After being awarded a contract through Dana White's Contender Series, unbeaten bantamweight prospect Wellmaker (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) showed why he's got hype on his name when he floored Saaiman (9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) with a clean counter left hook that led to the stoppage at the 1:59 mark of Round 1 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Check out the replay of Wellmaker's vicious knockout in the video below (via X):
THE RIGHT HAND FROM MALCOLM WELLMAKER 🔥 #UFCKANSASCITY pic.twitter.com/LBdv2C9Ibx — ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 26, 2025
After the victory, Wellmaker reflected on a successful promotional debut and set his sights on competing at UFC Fight Night 257 on June 14 in Atlanta. "My life is better than I ever thought it could be – this is incredible," Wellmaker said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. "We knew that was going to happen, we knew that was going to be the shot. ... I didn't think it was going to come this soon, but he gave me what I wanted and I gave you what you all wanted. In June, you're all coming to Atlanta. It's two hours from my house. Let's make it happen."
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 66 results include:
- Malcolm Wellmaker def. Cameron Saaiman via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 1:59
- Jaqueline Amorim def. Polyana Viana via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:49
- Timmy Cuamba def. Roberto Romero via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:55
- Joselyne Edwards def. Chelsea Chandler via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:31
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Kansas City video: Malcolm Wellmaker's KO sends Saaiman airborne.
Malcolm Wellmaker destroyed Cameron Saaiman for a perfect octagon debut at UFC Kansas City, handing the South African fighter his third straight UFC loss with a perfect counter punch just under two minutes to impress fellow MMA fighters.
Click here to watch the finish, and check the pros reaction below:
Fuck I feel bad for Saaiman he needs time to mature get man muscle beautiful shot by Wellmaker — Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) April 26, 2025
Wellmaker took care of business in his official UFC debut earlier tonight (Sat., April 26, 2025) at UFC Kansas City LIVE on ESPN2/ESPN+ from inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, stopping fellow Contender Series standout Cameron Saaiman with a monstrous one-punch knockout in the first round.
Despite possessing incredible one-punch power at 135 pounds, Wellmaker was only a slight betting favorite for his debut matchup against Saaiman. That’s probably because Saaiman is super talented and trains alongside current UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. It was going to be up to Wellmaker to land his power early and prevent Saaiman from setting a higher pace in the opening minutes. Fortunately for Wellmaker, his power was not going to be denied.
During an exchange of punches along the cage, Wellmaker launched a ridiculous right hand that connected flush and sent Saaiman toppling to the canvas like a tree that was just chopped down. No additional offense was needed from Wellmaker as his one punch was enough to get the job done.
Check out the final moments of the fight in the above video player and an alternate angle below:
Wellmaker, 30, was coming off a memorable knockout win on the Contender Series back in Aug. 2024. This was expected to be his coming out party and he delivered on all levels. The rest of Wellmaker’s game still needs to evolve for the big leagues, but his power is truly something else in the bantamweight division.
For more UFC Kansas City results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
Malcolm Wellmaker needed just one punch to knock out Cameron Saaiman in his UFC debut.
THE RIGHT HAND FROM MALCOLM WELLMAKER 🔥 #UFCKANSASCITY pic.twitter.com/LBdv2C9Ibx — ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 26, 2025
Welcome to the UFC, Malcolm Wellmaker. The UFC Kansas City prelims are off to a good start, with four finishes in a row. Most emphatically, Wellmaker knocked out South African prospect Cameron Saaiman with a devastating counter hook. Now 8-0, Wellmaker stunned on Dana White's Contender Series with a similar finish, and came up against a tough test in Saaiman, a 24-year-old scrapper on a two-fight skid, albeit against top opponents in Payton Talbott and Christian Rodriguez.
After some tentative action in the first round, Wellmaker responded to a lazy jab from Saaiman with a fade-out check hook. He caught Saaiman flush on the jaw and sent the younger fighter falling to the canvas. Some quick follow-up shots secured the victory.
MALCOLM WELLMAKER OH MY GOODNESS pic.twitter.com/r0DkW7Xhga — Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) April 26, 2025
Wellmaker isn't a full-time fighter despite being in the UFC. 'The Machine' works full-time in construction. With any hope, the UFC will facilitate a full-time career right away, seeing as they are the premier mixed martial arts organization.
My UFC debut is 2 weeks away and this is from a day in my camp. — Malcolm Wellmaker (@wallathemachine) April 12, 2025
I still work a full time job in the construction industry as a pipefitter welder so a work day includes the job site and the gym. With that being said, it’s Huntin’ Season! See y’all soon! 😈🎯⚰️#FKKS #706
Look out for Malcolm Wellmaker...
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