Malcolm Wellmaker can finally dedicate himself entirely to fighting.
After securing a spectacular knockout victory over Cameron Saaiman last Saturday at UFC Kansas City, the Contender Series alumnus had indicated his intention to leave his pipefitting job if he received a post-fight bonus. Following the confirmation of his $50,000 Performance of the Night award, Wellmaker announced on Monday that he had officially informed his workplace of his departure, allowing him to focus exclusively on his mixed martial arts career.
“So many people bought into my story so here’s an update: I just quit my job!” Wellmaker shared via Instagram. “Saturday night I made my UFC debut, scored a first round knockout and earned a $50k performance bonus. Today I became a full-time fighter.”
He recounted joining the pipefitters union, Local 150 in Augusta, as an apprentice in 2015. Since then, he balanced full-time work in the trade with chasing his fighting aspirations. “All my career I swore that if I made it to the UFC and earned a $50k bonus I would quit my job, and today it finally happened,” he stated.
Wellmaker had previously revealed to MMA Fighting that he was working full-time as a pipefitter while pursuing his dream of reaching the UFC.
Even after winning on The Contender Series and securing a UFC contract, the bantamweight prospect lacked the financial means to leave his employment, requiring him to work demanding hours even while preparing for his first octagon appearance.
“I got that knockout [on Contender Series] and I was feeling like my life was going to change overnight and I was going to be driving a Bentley,” Wellmaker told MMA Fighting. “I’m still grinding. Still in the same position for the most part, other than being a signed UFC athlete but it keeps you humble, it keeps you hungry and it keeps you working hard. Hopefully after this one, I get to make the change for more success.”
Now, having earned the significant $50,000 bonus, Wellmaker wasted no time in notifying his employers of his decision to leave and dedicate his complete attention to fighting.
“I will always be grateful to the trade,” Wellmaker expressed. “It helped me mature from a boy to a man, it brought lifelong friends into my life, and I learned a skillset I can always fall back on, no matter what happens.”
He elaborated on his future goals: “My goal now is to take full advantage of my time in the UFC by completely committing to fighting, and if everything goes my way I’ll never have to pick up my welding hood again. But if I do, it won’t break my heart because I love the trade and I’m blessed to have done it.”
Following his successful debut weekend, Wellmaker voiced his desire to fight on the upcoming UFC Atlanta card in June, a location just a few hours from his Georgia home. UFC CEO Dana White appeared receptive to the idea.
For the moment, Wellmaker can relish his newfound freedom as a full-time professional fighter while celebrating his initial win in the UFC.
