Malcolm Wellmaker is officially done working a day job.
After earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in August, ‘The Machine’ made the most of his promotional debut in Kansas City, delivering a brutal knockout of Cameron Saaimon just under the two-minute mark of the opening round.
Despite landing a gig with the biggest mixed martial arts organization on the planet, Wellmaker opted to keep his full-time job as a welder. However, the Georgia native announced on social media on Monday that he quit his job after banking a $50,000 performance bonus for his highlight-reel finish.
“So many people bought into my story, so here’s an update: I just quit my job! 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,” Wellmaker wrote on Instagram. “In 2015, I joined the pipefitters union in Augusta, Local 150, as an apprentice. Since then, I’ve worked full time in the trade while chasing my dream.
“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. I will always be grateful to the trade. 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.
“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.”
After his explosive debut, Malcolm Wellmaker wants in on UFC Atlanta card
After taking zero damage in his UFC debut, Wellmaker will look to get back inside the Octagon as soon as possible.
If he gets his wish, he’ll get a spot on the promotion’s UFC Atlanta card on June 14 at State Farm Arena, just a couple of hours away from Wellmaker’s front door.
Wellmaker improved his overall record to 9-0 at UFC Kansas City with five of his wins coming by way of knockout and two more via submission.
