Wellmaker Talks Second Upset Loss: ‘I Gave It Everything’
It wasn’t that long ago that Malcolm Wellmaker was undefeated and on the fast track to contention. Wellmaker’s first two UFC bouts — as well as his Contender Series debut — ended in the very first-round via thunderous knockouts. At UFC 322 back in November 2025, Wellmaker was supposed to face Serhiy Sidey and then […]
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: Malcolm Wellmaker looks on against Juan Diaz of Peru in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on May 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) It wasn’t that long ago that Malcolm Wellmaker was undefeated and on the fast track to contention. Wellmaker’s first two UFC bouts — as well as his Contender Series debut — ended in the very first-round via thunderous knockouts.
At UFC 322 back in November 2025, Wellmaker was supposed to face Serhiy Sidey and then Cody Haddon, but injuries scratched both Bantamweight matchups. As a result, he faced a short-notice replacement named Ethyn Ewing , who out-struck the knockout artist in one of the year’s larger upsets. Unfortunately, Wellmaker was unable to rebound last weekend (Sat.
, May 16, 2026) at UFC Vegas 117 . Opposite recent Contender Series signee Juan Diaz, Wellmaker was again the betting favorite. After a competitive first round, however, Diaz was able to time a body lock takedown, force his way to the back, and submit Wellmaker in the second (watch here) .
After the loss, Wellmaker posted a lengthy statement to his social media about his failed efforts to return to the win column. View this post on Instagram “For the past 6 months I gave everything I had to try and get better,” Wellmaker wrote on Instagram. “I mean that literally.