Malcolm Wellmaker lastly considers himself a full-time fighter.
Following a shocking knockout win over Cameron Saaiman this previous Saturday at UFC Kansas Metropolis, the Contender Collection veteran revealed plans to give up his job as a pipefitter if he was rewarded with a post-fight bonus. After he truly acquired $50,000 for a Efficiency of the Night time award, Wellmaker revealed on Monday that he formally gave discover to his job that he’s leaving to place all of his consideration on combating.
“So many individuals purchased into my story so right here’s an replace: I simply give up my job!” Wellmaker mentioned on Instagram. “Saturday evening I made my UFC debut, scored a primary spherical knockout and earned a $50k efficiency bonus. In the present day I turned a full-time fighter.
“In 2015 I joined the pipefitters union in Augusta, Native 150 as an apprentice. Since then I’ve labored full time within the commerce whereas chasing my dream. All my profession I swore that if I made it to the UFC and earned a $50k bonus I might give up my job, and right this moment it lastly occurred.”
Wellmaker had beforehand advised MMA Combating that he was working full-time in his job as a pipefitter whereas chasing his dream to turn into a UFC fighter.
Even after his win on The Contender Collection that earned him a UFC contract, the bantamweight prospect nonetheless didn’t have the means to go away his job so he was nonetheless working loopy hours whereas getting ready for his octagon debut.
“I received that knockout and I used to be feeling like my life was going to vary in a single day and I used to be going to be driving a Bentley,” Wellmaker advised MMA Combating. “I’m nonetheless grinding. Nonetheless in the identical place for essentially the most half, aside from being a signed UFC athlete however it retains you humble, it retains you hungry and it retains you working arduous. Hopefully after this one, I get to make the change for extra success.”
Now that he earned that additional $50,000, Wellmaker wasted no time informing his employers that he was leaving his job and placing all his deal with combating.
“I’ll at all times be grateful to the commerce,” Wellmaker mentioned. “It helped me mature from a boy to a person, it introduced lifelong associates into my life, and I discovered a skillset I can at all times fall again on, it doesn’t matter what occurs.
“My aim now’s to take full benefit of my time within the UFC by utterly committing to combating, and if every little thing goes my means I’ll by no means have to choose up my welding hood once more. But when I do, it received’t break my coronary heart as a result of I really like the commerce and I’m blessed to have carried out it.”
Following his win this previous weekend, Wellmaker requested a spot on the upcoming UFC Atlanta card in June, which is only a few hours away from his dwelling in Augusta, Ga. and UFC CEO Dana White gave the impression of he was excited by making it occur for him.
For now, Wellmaker can get pleasure from just a little extra freedom as a full-time fighter whereas celebrating his first official win within the UFC.
