Malcolm Wellmaker admits costly mistake ahead of UFC Vegas 122
· Yahoo Sports
Malcolm
Wellmaker believes his recent losses in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship have helped him become a more
complete fighter.
Wellmaker (10-2) will look to snap a two-fight losing streak when he faces Otari Tanzilovi (10-2) at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
Wellmaker suffered his first professional loss to Ethyn Ewing last November. He was then submitted by Juan Diaz in May, dropping his UFC record to 2-2 after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024.
Wellmaker said the losses exposed shortcomings in his game and prompted him to seek a new training environment. He subsequently joined American Top Team, where he has worked with experienced fighters and coaches to refine his skills.
“I never had to deal with the loss part until recently, and fortunately those words stuck with me,” Wellmaker said in a prefight interview. “So, when I lost my fights, I mean, yeah, that hurt, but, you know, they took nothing away from me. That made me better.”
He also acknowledged underestimating Ewing.
“My confidence was a little bit high,” Wellmaker added. “I respected him, but not enough. And so, you know, that was a mentality shift, but also like a skill thing too, man.”
The 32-year-old wants to maintain the aggressive style that earned him a UFC contract and victories in his first two appearances with the promotion while taking a more calculated approach.
“I need to go in there, still be aggressive, still try to put this power on people, knock them out cold, but, you know, just do it in a more strategic manner,” Wellmaker said.
Wellmaker (10-2) will look to snap a two-fight losing streak when he faces Otari Tanzilovi (10-2) at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
Malcolm Wellmaker says he underestimated Ethyn Ewing before changing camps and preparing for Otari Tanzilovi
Wellmaker suffered his first professional loss to Ethyn Ewing last November. He was then submitted by Juan Diaz in May, dropping his UFC record to 2-2 after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024.
Wellmaker said the losses exposed shortcomings in his game and prompted him to seek a new training environment. He subsequently joined American Top Team, where he has worked with experienced fighters and coaches to refine his skills.
“I never had to deal with the loss part until recently, and fortunately those words stuck with me,” Wellmaker said in a prefight interview. “So, when I lost my fights, I mean, yeah, that hurt, but, you know, they took nothing away from me. That made me better.”
He also acknowledged underestimating Ewing.
“My confidence was a little bit high,” Wellmaker added. “I respected him, but not enough. And so, you know, that was a mentality shift, but also like a skill thing too, man.”
The 32-year-old wants to maintain the aggressive style that earned him a UFC contract and victories in his first two appearances with the promotion while taking a more calculated approach.
“I need to go in there, still be aggressive, still try to put this power on people, knock them out cold, but, you know, just do it in a more strategic manner,” Wellmaker said.
"Never let a win go to your head, and never let a loss go to your heart." Malcolm Wellmaker (@WallaTheMachine) believes a mentality shift and move to American Top Team will help him return to form at #UFCVegas122. Fight By Fight Preview ➡️ https://t.co/QO9ltlLz7T https://t.co/futrKGbUUL— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 8, 2026
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