Malcolm Wellmaker took advantage of his opportunity Saturday night at UFC Atlanta. As part of the early preliminary fights that streamed on ESPN+, Wellmaker delivered a devastating knockout.
Midway through the opening round of his bantamweight battle with Kris Moutinho, Wellmaker found his spot. And he landed, flooring Moutinho and earning the finish in 2:37.
MALCOLM WELLMAKER PUT HIM TO SLEEP 🤯 #UFCAtlanta pic.twitter.com/4h077ynlQ1
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 15, 2025
The card took place from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, marking the first trip to the city for the UFC since 2019. In the main event, former champion Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley locked up in the welterweight division.
But for several hours, it was Wellmaker who was trending all over social media. Nicknamed “The Machine,” the native of Augusta, Georgia delighted the crowd. The win moved him to 10-0 overall in his career.
THIS ANGLE OF MALCOLM WELLMAKER’S UNREAL KO AT #UFCATLANTA 👊 pic.twitter.com/N3BTewvq20
— ESPN (@espn) June 15, 2025
“I believe I have the power to put any bantamweight out,” Wellmaker said inside the Octagon afterward with Paul Felder. “Even one known for having a chin like Kris. I’ve got power (and) you can’t play with it.”
Wellmaker made his UFC debut earlier this year, scoring a finish of Cameron Saaiman in just under two minutes. He earned his spot with the promotion after delivering another knockout finish on Dana White’s Contender Series back in August 2024.
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