Malcolm Wellmaker has been relishing the aftermath of his UFC contract win at Dana White’s Contender Series 69, because the road to get there wasn’t easy.
Wellmaker (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is not the product of a major gym or a lineage of prominent MMA fighters. He comes from a small team at Faglier’s MMA out of Augusta, Ga., and is the first athlete from his squad to make it big on the UFC stage. He announced his arrival in emphatic fashion, too.
Wellmaker scored a devastating first-round knockout of Adam Bramhald at DWCS 69 that convinced the UFC boss to sign him to a contract, and the finish was so impressive it landed at No. 7 on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Top 10 plays.
It’s far from common for anyone from Wellmaker’s region to get a national spotlight, especially in combat sports. It has resonated with his community, and Wellmaker felt the love from the second he returned home from Las Vegas.
“They did a surprise for me at the airport,” Wellmaker told MMA Junkie. “I didn’t know anybody was going to be there, but I came through the doors and all the people working at the airport were smiling. I just thought it was a good day, but they knew. I walked through the doors to go to baggage claim, and there was a ton of people there screaming for me. They had signs with my face on it and everything. That was an absolutely magical moment. Then the following day I ended up at my local baseball stadium, and they let me do a first pitch. They got a jersey for me. Put my name on the back. It’s been insane.”
The appreciation of his accomplishment didn’t stop there.
“I went to Walgreens the next day to try to get some canvas prints done, and the lady recognized me, and she literally just entered a price for them,” Wellmaker said. “She didn’t even give me a percentage discount. Just entered the price and got me a huge discount and told me she was proud of me and took a picture with me. It’s been awesome.”
Staying humble
Although the celebration of his UFC signing touched him immensely, Wellmaker said the flurry of attention and admiration hasn’t gone to his head. He went back to training just two days after his victory. Wellmaker has a group of up-and-coming fighters who share the same ambition he just achieved.
Wellmaker might be the first from his area to reach the UFC, but he has no intention of being the last. It’s now proven that someone who comes from his spot can reach the most prominent organization in MMA. After being told by many people it couldn’t be done, Wellmaker is now a positive example.
“There was a lot of people – who I think they thought they had my best interests in mind – trying to convince me that I needed to be somewhere else if I actually wanted to achieve my potential,” Wellmaker said. “The gym I’m at today is the same gym that taught me how to throw my very first punch seven, eight years ago.
“It meant something to me to be able to contribute something to the name, to be able to put the UFC banner on our gym, and I think it’s just a great demonstration of loyalty and love that I have for my team.”
‘That’s my next dream’
Now that he is officially part of the UFC roster, Wellmaker is ready to make some noise. At 30, he is on the older end of talent UFC boss White has historically stated he’s looking to sign, but the violent knockout at DWCS 69 paired with an undefeated record made it too hard to resist.
It shouldn’t be long until the ceiling of Wellmaker’s potential is discovered. The UFC bantamweight division is arguably the deepest and most talent-filled in the company, and that reality is not lost on Wellmaker.
“(Before) I looked at the division as competition but wasn’t as real as it is today,” Wellmaker said. “When I think about what my career path looks like, and I think about these guys I can fight – it’s both scary and exciting because there’s so much talent in the 135 division that its list of guys I could fight, and it’s going to be entertaining. It’s going to be fun.
“I feel like regardless of who wins the fight, which I expect it to be me – I think the fans will be happy. I think Dana will be happy, and I think our careers move forward regardless. There’s a lot of guys that I’m very excited to get put into the cage with.”
Wellmaker said he’s been waiting eagerly and with excitement for the phone to ring with his first official UFC assignment. He doesn’t have much in the way of requests in terms of opponent, but he would like the opportunity to capitalize on his momentum from DWCS and schedule his octagon debut by the end of the year.
He’s ready to agree to any matchup UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby and his manager, Jason House of Iridium Sports Agency, deem most fitting for his debut. But if there’s any bucket list item Wellmaker hopes comes to fruition and that he can cross off, it’s having Joe Rogan in the commentary booth.
“Having (Daniel Cormier) commentate on of my card was crazy – so I think now I want to start meeting more people in the UFC,” Wellmaker said. “I want to fight in front of Joe Rogan. That’s my next dream. I don’t really care where, but Joe Rogan’s on the wish list. I would love for DC to commentate on me again, too. He’s an amazing person.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 69.
