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Malcolm Wellmaker | The Future Is Still Bright
Returning Bantamweight Talks UFC 322 Fallout, Lessons Learned Ahead Of 2026 Debut
So much of life is not knowing what you don’t know until you finally come to know it, and in the last six months, Malcolm Wellmaker has come to know that as much as he had been the darling of the MMA world since he first stepped foot in the Octagon, the sport has a way of humbling everyone.
“Brother, you said something that stuck in my head so much because before my fight,” began the bantamweight standout. “You said, ‘One day they’re gonna love you, and then one day they’re gonna hate you’ and I don’t even remember all the context around it, but when I tell you that your face and those words have not left my head for six months.
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“I have non-stop thought about that,” he added, laughing. “I’ll be damned if we did not talk about this.”
In the days following his upset loss to Ethyn Ewing in New York City, Wellmaker went through the shift of going from rising star with legions of fans to being inundated with callous messages and watching as the same people singing his praises after his first two UFC victories announced they were getting off the bandwagon.
“I just didn’t know I was not an exception to the rule. I’ve only been nice to everybody, I’ve only said the right things; I come from a struggle background, I worked blue-collar for 10 years, I beat the odds —they’re gonna be happy for me regardless.
“But because of it, I’ve gotten so much more peace,” he added. “So much more peace and contentment with what my real job is, what my real value in life is, and it ain’t in the cage and it ain’t to the fans. This is just the job.”
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In addition to learning the invaluable lesson about the fickle nature of MMA fans and that no one is immune to setbacks, going through the late change in opponent in New York City also taught the 31-year-old talent that at this level, you have to be all the way invested in everything pertaining to your career, because an off night can cost you a great deal.
On only a couple of days’ notice, Ethyn Ewing made his way to “The Mecca,” rolled into the Octagon, and handed Wellmaker his first professional loss, registering one of the biggest upsets of the year.
“There were so many things that you don’t know how to handle because how many people find themselves in that kind of situation?” Wellmaker asked rhetorically. “I just tried to push through it with my confidence, go in there and say, ‘It doesn’t matter who in the world it is,’ and I fell a little bit short.
“I didn’t take the time to do the film study and find out how good he was. I didn’t take the time to really sit down with my coaches and have a conversation about how they feel about this guy and the other options that were provided. How did they feel about fighting up at 145 (pounds) when I was already a little — I ended up lower than we ended up fighting at.
“I wish I would have taken these decisions a little more seriously, not to prevent what happened, but so that when what did happen, on the other side of it, I could have more peace with it,” he added. “Now, I’m like, ‘Man! What if…’ There are so many things I didn’t bother with, and I would have had more peace if I did.”
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Wellmaker wanted to make things right straightaway, pressing his management to see if he could find a spot on the January 31 fight card in Sydney, Australia, or something else early in the year in order to get the sour taste out of his mouth. While a first-quarter fight didn’t materialize, being forced to sit with his position actually became a positive for the former pipefitter, who used it as fuel to turn the takeaways from his loss to Ewing into ways to improve as a fighter.
He drilled down on technique and trained with greater intentionality, desperate to ensure that the adversity he went through would yield positive results and took a little bit of additional solace in watching his last opponent show out in his second Octagon appearance earlier this year.
“One thing that is even better is after seeing what Ethyn did in his last fight,” he said. “I’m kinda not too ashamed of how we fought in our two days’ notice fight; it was a banger.”
Malcolm Wellmaker Earns First-Round KO In His Debut | UFC Kansas City
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Malcolm Wellmaker Earns First-Round KO In His Debut | UFC Kansas City
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On the night it happened, fans lambasted Wellmaker for losing to a newcomer on two days’ notice. Today, the setback doesn’t look as bad, and in a years’ time, there is a real possibility that those same fans that were criticizing him coming away from New York City are looking at his record and saying, “Hey, the only guys he’s lost to is Ethyn Ewing and he’s legit!” as they once again sing his praises and look for space on the bandwagon.
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“It’s gonna be a completely different look,” he said, once again shaking his head. “It’s not even a stain for me.”
As much as he’s made peace with the result and turned the negatives from what was supposed to be the capper to a colossal first year on the roster into positives in the training room, Wellmaker is still chomping at the bit to actually step back into the Octagon and put everything into practice.
“I’m itching for it!” he said. “I might go to the APEX early just to move around in the cage if I can. I feel like it’s been too long, and I’m missing that feeling of being in competition. I can’t wait to fight.”
The wait is finally over, and on Saturday night, he knows he’s in for a test when he stands opposite Juan Diaz, a fellow Contender Series product whose name didn’t immediately register for Wellmaker, but whose highlight reel finish quickly reminded him of what he can expect this weekend.
“When I looked him up, I knew exactly who the kid was,” he said excitedly. “I was like, ‘Oh that’s this guy!’ That night on Contender Series was special because of all the knockouts and the guy that he knocked out had a reputation for being a striker and finishing people. When I got the name, it got me that exciting feeling.
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“This is a dangerous guy, and not just in striking —in grappling too; he’s slick,” he said of Diaz, who carries a 15-1-1 record and eight-fight winning streak into their main card matchup on Saturday. “He’s a dog as well, and he’s willing to trade too. He’s got everything it takes to get me another Fight of the Night opportunity and I can’t wait.
“It drove me hard in training camp and gonna make me fight very well this weekend.”
While there is a part of Wellmaker that wants to race into the Octagon, blow through Diaz, and immediately get himself moving in the right direction again, there is also a part of his return to action this weekend that feels bigger than just the fight itself.
Malcolm Wellmaker Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa
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Malcolm Wellmaker Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa
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Now that he’s faced adversity and turned the disappointments and lessons learned into points of emphasis in his preparation, the standout finisher wants to show that he’s more than just a guy with power in his hands who can put away overmatched competition.
“There is so much that I have been intentional about improving in the training room that I want to show in real time,” he said. “I wanna show a little more patience, a little less reliance and forcefulness in trying to put that power on somebody. A lot more maturity. A lot more Fight IQ, and then there are still things that I think I’ve already had that I haven’t had a chance to demonstrate.
“I’m excited to show that I’m in a place where I’m still growing, I’m still getting better, and my future is still bright.”
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!