One year ago, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight prospect, Malcolm Wellmaker, looked like one of the promotion’s next breakout stars.
“The Machine” was coming off consecutive highlight-reel, first round knockouts over Cameron Saaiman and Kris Moutinho (watch highlights), seemingly announcing himself as a serious threat at 135 pounds.
Then, one month later, all that momentum came to a screeching halt inside Madison Square Garden. Indeed, Wellmaker suffered the first loss of his professional
career, dropping a unanimous decision to Ethyn Ewing, who accepted the fight on just 48 hours’ notice (details here).
In hindsight, the loss hasn’t aged badly whatsoever — Ewing might just be the real deal. At the time, though, Wellmaker’s considerable hype took a hit.
The setback stung, but because of the chaotic circumstances surrounding it, Wellmaker could explain it away.
“For the Ethyn loss, I had redeeming excuses — multiple opponent changes, then a new one on 48 hours’ notice. The weight cut was rough, all that stuff,” Wellmaker told MMAMania.com in a recent interview. “So, I had things I could point to. But with Juan, brother, I had six months. No name changes. It was just him, and I still fell short. That was what put everything in perspective for me.”
Six months after losing to Ewing, Wellmaker suffered his second consecutive defeat, submitting to UFC newcomer, Juan Diaz, in the second round (see that again here).
After beginning his UFC career with two spectacular knockouts, Wellmaker was suddenly 2-2 inside the Octagon. Unlike the Ewing fight, there were no late-notice changes or difficult circumstances to blame.
“The first loss really didn’t hit my confidence too badly,” Wellmaker said. “I went back, looked at the footage and saw how much I could attribute to the circumstances of that night. In my heart, I felt like I let all the elements outside of the fight mess with my head, and that’s what impacted my performance. I walked away from that experience still feeling like I was world championship material.
“But, when I lost to Juan Diaz, 100 percent, there was a big hit to my confidence,” he continued. “There was a big hit to my belief in my skills and my potential, and the whispers started getting louder.”
Wellmaker knew something had to change if he was going to turn his promising career around.
That realization forced the proud Augusta, Ga., native to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life: leave his friends, family and long-time team behind to begin training at American Top Team in Florida.
“It was incredibly hard, man,” Wellmaker said. “I think a lot of people don’t realize how hard it was because I made the move so fast. I had a conversation with my wife first — just letting out my thoughts, venting, being honest and addressing some things. After that, I reached out to my management. That was the Sunday and Monday after my fight. I immediately started asking for their thoughts on my career, my performance and what was next for me.”
The answer became painfully obvious.
Wellmaker had reached UFC while training with the same people who had helped him from the very beginning. But, competing against the best Bantamweights in the world — while working with limited resources — was no longer sustainable.
Once he made his decision, Wellmaker had to tell the people who had helped get him there.
“My coaches and teammates were already thinking, ‘Okay, what can we do better? Who can we bring into camp? How can we make sure he’s better prepared for his next fight?’” Wellmaker said. “So, when I told them I had already decided I wanted to leave, it was a surprise to them.
“We talked through it, man,” he added. “I had no doubt in my heart that they would take it well, even though it was a hard conversation to get through. They understood where I was coming from. They still support me. I talk to those guys every week — all the time.”
Their support didn’t make leaving any easier.
Now surrounded by a deep roster of training partners competing in UFC and other major organizations, Wellmaker finally believes he has the resources needed to reintroduce himself to a division many once expected him to climb.
“Everybody knows ATT is the mecca of building champions and fighting at the highest level,” Wellmaker said. “The room is incredibly stacked. The practices are really, really intense.
“The biggest difference is the sparring,” he continued. “Back home, I sparred hard, don’t get me wrong, but it’s different here because these guys are really coming for me. They’re putting me in danger, and I feel seriously challenged. At the end of our rounds, I feel real exhaustion. There are real moments of danger.”
That daily discomfort has restored the confidence that disappeared after his loss to Diaz.
“I feel like I’m going to be so much more prepared for that feeling inside the cage,” Wellmaker said. “Every Tuesday and Thursday when I walk into the gym, I’ve got butterflies. It’s a real-deal experience, man.”
Wellmaker returns to action this weekend (Sat., Oct. 10, 2026) against Otari Tanzilovi on UFC Vegas 122’s main card inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And while Wellmaker has spent the past several months expanding his game, don’t expect his new surroundings to produce an entirely different fighter. “The Machine” is still hunting for the same violent result.
“Coach Mo [Lawal] told me last week, ‘I don’t think it’s ever going to change. You’re always going to have a gunslinger style, but we’ve got to work on these other things,’” Wellmaker added. “When I get inside that cage, with four-ounce gloves on my hands and a man standing in front of me, I want to put him to sleep. That’s never going to change.
“But, I’ll do it in a smart way,” he finished.
