Malcolm Wellmaker is a construction worker by day and a high-octane fighter by night.
UFC bantamweight prospect Malcolm Wellmaker fought just two hours from his house at UFC Atlanta, and made the most of the opportunity to fight in front of tons of friends and family on Saturday night.
Wellmaker and short-notice replacement opponent Kris Moutinho helped kick things off during the UFC Atlanta prelims on Saturday at State Farm Arena. Moutinho, who lost to Sean O’Malley during the former titleholder’s rise at UFC 264, returned to the Octagon after a five-fight win streak outside of the promotion.
While Moutinho should be commended for his short-notice gamble at UFC Atlanta, it was Wellmaker who stole the show during their bantamweight clash.
Malcolm Wellmaker faceplants Kris Moutinho in homecoming KO victory at UFC Atlanta
Wellmaker showed off his speed and timing early on against Moutinho, piecing up his opponent just seconds into the fight. But Moutinho was able to showcase his trademark toughness early on, taking some of Wellmaker’s best shots and still advancing forward.
Wellmaker managed to accomplish a feat that O’Malley couldn’t when the UFC star faced Moutinho earlier in his career. O’Malley defeated Moutinho by Round 3 TKO after turning his opponent’s face into a bloody mess.
Midway through Round 1, Wellmaker landed a thunderous right hook to Moutinho’s chin that knocked him out cold.
Check out Wellmaker’s nasty finish below.
Wellmaker made headlines in his highly-anticipated UFC debut at UFC Kansas City in April, knocking out talented prospect Cameron Saaiman by first-round knockout. With the victory over Moutinho, Wellmaker moves to 10-0 in his career with six knockout victories.
As for Moutinho, it’s uncertain whether or not the UFC will give him another fight after taking the Wellmaker bout on short-notice. It was Moutinho’s first UFC fight since a loss to Guido Cannetti in March 2022.
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Malcolm Wellmaker is a full-time construction worker before Dana White gave him $50,000 bonus
Wellmaker comes from humble beginnings, working in construction full-time while pursuing his MMA career. Wellmaker quit his full-time job thanks to UFC CEO Dana White, who awarded him with a $50,000 bonus after his promotional debut earlier this year.
The 31-year-old Wellmaker is one of several young stars in the UFC bantamweight division looking to make a push towards the Top 15. His UFC Atlanta finish was eerily similar to his Dana White’s Contender Series victory last year.
UFC Atlanta was headlined by a welterweight clash between Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley.
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