You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!
Only one athlete made their Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in the “Big Apple” last night (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025) at UFC 322 inside the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
And it couldn’t have gone much better.
The lone rookie on the card delivered a shocker, pulling off an upset unanimous decision win that immediately put the Bantamweight division on notice. Now that the dust has settled, let’s hand out his debut grade.
Ethyn Ewing
On just two days’ notice, California’s Ethyn Ewing stepped in as a +330 underdog to face hard-hitting prospect Malcolm Wellmaker — and then proceeded to stun the super-hyped newcomer with a performance fans should remember for a long time.
Ewing brought the dog out. Just seven days removed from knocking out a Contender Series veteran to win Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat interim Bantamweight title, he showed zero hesitation on the sport’s biggest stage.
From the opening bell, Ewing stood in the pocket with the power puncher and looked completely at home, not intimidated at all. His footwork was sharp, his boxing was crisp, and even when he ate Wellmaker’s infamous counter left hook, he wore it well and fired back. He even mixed in a slick hip toss for good measure.
The second round got dicey as Wellmaker targeted Ewing’s body with teeps, knees, and hooks, briefly hurting him and draining his cardio. But even while navigating adversity, Ewing stayed composed and continued landing the cleaner combinations.
With some believing the fight was tied heading into the third, Ewing left no doubt. He surged ahead, outworked Wellmaker down the stretch, and officially outstruck and handed “The Machine” his first UFC loss … again, on just two days’ notice.
It was an incredible debut. Ewing showed he belongs, gained a ton of new fans, and gave every indication that he’ll be someone to watch in 2026. Slick boxing, real power, underrated grappling, and a gas tank that holds up under pressure — he checks every box.
For his next outing, I’d like to see him fight Timothy Cuamba.
Final grade: A
For complete UFC 322 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
