Surging bantamweight finisher talks to Fighters Only’s E. Spencer Kyte about his path to MMA, his blistering start in the UFC, and what the future may hold.
The Beginning of the Journey
Prior to this year, the last time the UFC brought an event to Atlanta, Malcolm Wellmaker was just beginning his immersion into the sport of mixed martial arts. He stood at 2–0 as an amateur, having first walked into Faglier’s Mixed Martial Arts simply to get back into shape.
“To be honest, when I grew up, I was kinda a problem child,” laughs the surging UFC bantamweight prospect, as he traces his journey from apprentice pipe-fitter with zero MMA experience to one of the sport’s hottest rising stars in just over seven years. “I wasn’t fighting all the time, but I fought a little bit.”
“When it came to actually going to the gym, it was only to get in shape; that’s all it was. I was maybe a year into the apprenticeship. I wasn’t as skinny as I used to be, I was drinking more, eating more, and I wasn’t happy with how I looked anymore. A couple guys on the job site had jiu-jitsu or MMA experience, and they were like, ‘Hey man, you should get into MMA. You’ll get in shape and learn to defend yourself.’ That was the springboard.”
“I showed up the first day, got my ass kicked, and showed back up.”
Found Family
In today’s MMA landscape, it’s common for fighters to start locally, then transition to major gyms as they climb the ranks. But Wellmaker has remained loyal to the same team that’s been with him from day one.
“Pops became like a father figure to me. Jason and Joel became real brothers to me,” he says of Jason Faglier Sr. and his sons, Jason Jr. and Joel—his longtime coaches and corner team. “It feels good to be able to do this with them. I’ve seen the gym grow, the programs develop, and it’s all amazing—but honestly, it’s small compared to what they’ve done for me.”
“There were so many nights where I needed help—not as a fighter, but as a son or a brother—and I was able to call them at two or three in the morning. They were there for me. This is just part of me doing what I’m supposed to as a brother and as a son.”
Handling Business
From the beginning of his professional career, Wellmaker has shown one clear trend: he finishes fights.
After a 9–1 amateur run with seven finishes, he turned pro in 2022 and racked up six straight wins, including four finishes. That streak earned him a spot on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series. There, he knocked out Adam Bramhald with a vicious overhand right, face-planting him into the canvas and earning a UFC contract in the process.
“Man, it’s crazy,” he says, smiling when asked about his UFC start—two walk-off KOs, both in the first round. “I tell people all the time that I stumbled into this.”
“This wasn’t even in the deck of cards I thought I had. So to be in the UFC—and not just in it, but succeeding after balancing fighting with the apprenticeship—it still feels unreal.”
“I remember watching Conor McGregor’s debut against Marcus Brimage over and over again before I fought Cameron Saaiman. I was like, ‘If I can have a debut like that, I’ll be set up.’ Then I go and do what I did?”
He flattened Saaiman in under two minutes in April, and followed it up with another stunning KO against Kris Moutinho—who was known for being notoriously durable.
A Perfect Homecoming
Growing up just two hours east of Atlanta, Wellmaker lobbied hard to compete at the UFC event in June at State Farm Arena—and got his wish. Paired with Moutinho, who’d earned a second UFC shot after five regional finishes, Wellmaker made his walk to the Octagon feel like a celebration.
“It was massive and still feels like a dream,” he told the UFC's Maddyn Johnstone-Thomas.
After a barrage of body shots and low kicks, he landed a pinpoint right hook that dropped Moutinho cold.
“I’m gonna be honest: it’s incredible to me that he kept walking forward,” Wellmaker says. “A lot of those shots—to the head and the body—were hard. After most of those, guys back up. But he didn’t.”
“It was him pulling his elbows down to defend the body shots when I thought, ‘I got him.’ Then there was a small moment where we clinched, and I heard his breathing—it was heavy. That’s when I knew it was working.”
“As I saw him start to worry about the body shots more, I knew it was only a matter of time until I found the chin.”
Two fights. Two first-round finishes. Two post-fight bonuses.
Too good.
Going Forward
The sophomore slump never came. Wellmaker’s already proven his debut was no fluke—and he’s gaining momentum.
“Objectively, looking at how my career started, I do feel like I’ve found something special,” he says. “People see the right hand, but those that know fighting, they also see the technique, the setups. It’s not luck—the respect is justified.”
“It’s incredible. It’s mind-blowing. And man, it’s right.”
As for what’s next?
“A lot of people talk about these knockouts and the pressure that comes with them. Honestly, if someone can take me to the second or third round, you’re still gonna be entertained,” he laughs. “You guys love violence. If someone gives me a chance to show more of what I can do, I’ll take it. But I never feel pressure for the walk-off KOs because I know the fans are getting a show.”
“As far as the rest of the year, I don’t care who it is—I just want to fight again, at least once, maybe twice. I see names floating around on the internet, and honestly, they find out before I do.”
“Alexandre Topuria would be amazing. Adrian Yanez would be so fun. But I don’t know more than you guys. I’m just hoping it’s something fun.”
Given what we’ve seen so far, if Malcolm Wellmaker is involved—it will be.
