Malcolm Wellmaker stunned he found UFC success while still working full-time job: ‘It’s crazy’

Malcolm Wellmaker is about to make his third appearance in the octagon with his upcoming fight booked at UFC 322, but it’s only his second time competing in the promotion without also enduring a grueling 40-hour work week.

After signing to the UFC from Dana White’s Contender Series, Wellmaker maintained his full-time job as a welder and a member of the pipefitter’s union in his home state of Georgia. He put in a lot of years to earn a comfortable living from his day job that MMA couldn’t provide. Wellmaker always hoped that would change.

A vicious knockout in his UFC debut earned Wellmaker a $50,000 bonus and that finally allowed him to put in his notice that fighting would now be his only occupation. He then tacked on another $50,000 bonus following a second highlight-reel finish, so Wellmaker feels financially justified in his decision.

The 31-year-old bantamweight looks back now and marvels at finding as much success as he did while still grinding away at his old job, which was both physically and mentally taxing.

“It’s crazy and maybe it’s specific to the trade and the type of job that I came from but I honestly could not even imagine competing at this level and having to work that kind of job,” Wellmaker told MMA Fighting. “If the me today fought the me while working that kind of job, there’s no way I could be even close to my true potential. The amount of stress that puts the body, your mind, on the rest of your life.”

Wellmaker has now gone through two full training camps where he only had to think about fighting and nothing else. He admits his readiness now compared to his debut is almost night and day.

Fighter pay remains one of the hottest topics in combat sports, especially after the UFC inked a massive $7.7 billion deal to move from ESPN to Paramount in 2026. UFC CEO Dana White has promised fighter salaries will increase as a result of that huge influx of revenue, but there’s been no public disclosure on any kind of percentages or amounts that athletes could expect to see.

For his part, Wellmaker isn’t complaining about his paycheck by any means because he’s finally making enough now so the UFC is his only job, but he struggles to comprehend how anybody works full time and finds success in the fight game.

“I was single without kids at the time [I got into the UFC],” Wellmaker said. “I’m married and have a child now. If I had to deal with all that and then the job and try to train and then the pressures of going and being on this huge stage, I just don’t know how I could do it.

“It’s almost crazy that I was able to do what I did when I did do it while working a full-time job.”

With all of his attention on his fighting career, Wellmaker expects big things ahead after what’s already been a crazy 2025.

It’s hard for him to wrap his head around the fact he’s now 2-0 in the UFC with two knockouts and two post-fight bonuses with hopes he could add a third with his upcoming fight against Cody Haddon on Saturday.

“It’s crazier of a rookie year than I ever could have imagined,” Wellmaker said. “The first two fights, the places I fought, the opponents I fought, the way that the finish happened has just been absolutely incredible. To top it all off with a [Madison Square Garden] card, it’s insane. I think I have an incredible first year to look back on.”

Wellmaker appreciates the attention he’s received thus far and knows the real work starts now that the UFC is putting him in these kinds of positions—like his spot on arguably the biggest card of the year.

He takes nothing for granted and genuinely appreciates that the UFC seems to think so much of him.

“I’m sitting here and I’m getting all these great opportunities,” Wellmaker said. “All these people know who I am and I feel like I haven’t done anything in the organization. Then I have this other side of me that’s like no you did something. You knocked out Cameron Saaiman. You knocked out Kris [Moutinho]. You knocked out Adam Bramhald with the same punch in the first round. You’ve done something great and I sometimes feel like I haven’t done enough and sometimes I feel like I’ve earned where I’m at.

“To be honest, I don’t know which one is right sometimes. I’m just grateful the UFC thinks that I’ve done enough to be in these positions that I’m in.”

Wellmaker’s success could also potentially lead to a fast rise up the ranks given his exciting style and tendency to produce jaw-dropping knockouts.

Because he got into the UFC at an older age than the average prospect, Wellmaker knows he’s got no time to waste so he’s hoping another scorched-earth knockout over Haddon could lead to an even bigger fight in 2026.

“To be completely transparent with you, I was almost wanting a big name [at UFC 322],” Wellmaker said. “I was almost hoping they said something that rung bells and made me crazy excited and almost make me a little nervous. So when I didn’t get a big name like that, it was a little bit disappointing but I’m not truly disappointed when I’m looking at the route that we’re taking.

“I’m not upset about it at all. With that being said, I am excited and eager to get a test with a number next to their name.”