Malcolm Wellmaker Reflects on UFC Vegas 122 Loss After Move to ATT
UFC bantamweight Malcolm Wellmaker opened up about his knockout loss to Otari Tanzilovi at UFC Vegas 122, reflecting on the emotional toll of moving his family to American Top Team only to suffer his third consecutive defeat.
· VILLAND PICK editorial
Malcolm Wellmaker is coming to terms with the emotional weight of his latest Octagon setback. After moving his family to Florida to join American Top Team ahead of UFC Vegas 122, the bantamweight suffered a knockout defeat against Otari Tanzilovi, dropping his promotional record to 2-3 and extending his losing streak to three bouts.
Wellmaker (10-3) originally secured his place on the roster through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024. He enjoyed a fast start inside the Octagon, finishing his first two UFC opponents in the opening round last year. However, his momentum stalled after suffering his first professional defeat against Ethyn Ewing by unanimous decision in November, and he has since dropped both of his 2026 appearances inside the distance.
Prior to the camp for Tanzilovi, the Georgia native made the significant decision to leave Faglier’s MMA in Augusta to train in Florida. Taking to Instagram, Wellmaker acknowledged how difficult it was to make such major sacrifices without seeing the desired results in the cage.
“The whole storyline behind this fight was that I finally left my small-town gym and went to train with a world-class team,” Wellmaker wrote. “I left my hometown and everything I love behind to be the best fighter I can be… and I still lost… All that for nothing… At least that’s how it felt.” Wellmaker noted that his fighting career has always been focused on providing for his family rather than seeking fame, describing the post as a way to find closure and pick himself back up.
Sources
This article was written by VILLAND PICK based on the reports listed above. Original articles are not reproduced.