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Jeremiah Wells | Back To Home Base
Phildelphia-based Welterweight Plans To Kick Off UFC 330 With A Bang.
It’s always special when a fighter gets to return home to compete in the Octagon. But for Jeremiah Wells, that return comes with added responsibility.
Wells has been hand-picked by the UFC matchmakers to kick off proceedings at UFC 330 against Myktybek Orolbai, which takes place Saturday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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It’s the perfect fight to kick things off in Philly, and Wells is excited to be the man to get the party started.
“Oh, it means a lot, man,” he told UFC.com ahead of fight night. “It's like a dream come true. I always wanted to fight in Philly. The last time they came here, I watched. I watched them fight, and I was like, ‘I'm gonna fight here one day. And yeah, dream come true.’ … We’re all die-hard fans, and when we win, they go crazy. They have to grease up the poles, so they're gonna grease up the poles this weekend.”
The fight offers a real morale boost for Wells, who has been through a rough period in his career. After capturing the CFFC welterweight title back in September 2019, Wells was signed to the UFC roster the following year, and immediately hit the ground running.
Wells won his first three fights by stoppage – two by knockout, one by submission – as he made a flying start to life on the big stage. He then extended his win streak to four with a split-decision victory over Matthew Semelsberger in April 2023.
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But after that win, things went off the rails. Back-to-back defeats to Carlston Harris and Max Griffin saw him head into the summer of 2024 desperate for a win, but injuries and canceled matchups meant he didn’t return to action until November 1 last year.
Despite the layoff and the frustration that came with it, Wells composed himself and earned a gritty unanimous decision victory over Themba Gorimbo.
That victory was absolutely crucial for Wells, who was able to use that fight, and that win, to put a lot of frustration and baggage behind him.
“It was really important,” he admitted. “I was coming off a lot of trials and tribulations with injuries and being out for so long, and also coming off some losses. So yeah, just getting that win, it means a lot. That's why I had to bring the dog out of me.”
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Sitting on a two-fight skid and an extended period of inactivity, it can be easy for doubts to creep in. And Wells admitted that he had to work hard on his own mindset in order to stay on top of a situation that could easily have eaten him from the inside and left him unable to perform at his best when he did eventually return.
“I had to dig deep into myself, mentally, and just slow everything down, take my time and stuff,” he explained. “And stop rushing – rushing training, rushing recovery, and everything, and worry about my nutrition and everything. So, once I got all that handled, everything fell into place.”
With his ducks back in a row, Wells stepped into the Octagon at Meta APEX and overcame a fast-starting Gorimbo to eventually earn the unanimous decision victory, with his work rate in the do-or-die final round proving decisive.
Wells was originally due to return in May against former Cage Warriors champion Nicolas Dalby, but with the Dane sustaining an injury, the bout was canceled. But this time Wells was still healthy, and the UFC matchmakers quickly rebooked him, with the added bonus of his assignment coming in his hometown on a UFC numbered event.
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His matchup with Kyrgyzstan’s Orolbai offers the sort of bout that could deliver some wild, fan-friendly action, too.
“Oh man, he's a dog,” said Wells. “He brings it, and so do I. So we're gonna collide. He's a good fighter.”
Jeremiah Wells: 'When We Win, They Go Crazy' | UFC 330
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Jeremiah Wells: 'When We Win, They Go Crazy' | UFC 330
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And Wells, who has five career knockouts and four submission finishes to his name, admitted that, when it comes to how he sees the fight ending, he just can’t call it.
“You never know, man,” he said. “With these fights, you could say, ‘Oh, I'm gonna knock him out, or I could say, ‘I'm gonna submit him,’ and then it goes to a decision, you know?
“But I know that it's gonna be fireworks, and if I get my hands around him, he might go to sleep. If I connect really nice, he's gonna he's gonna sleep. So yeah, no matter what, I'm getting my hand raised.”
UFC 330: Makhachev vs Machado Garry took place live from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 15, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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