AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It didn’t take long for Augusta’s Malcolm Wellmaker to find his way back to the gym. 

Landing less than 24 hours ago, the newly minted UFC fighter was ready to hit the bag. 

“It feels incredible to be something that I thought was so huge when I was a kid but to be able to take it and be a part of their lives personally, to be able to impact them personally, to be able to motivate them, to show them it can be done. It’s not just a guy on a poster, you know? It’s a dream come true,” said Wellmaker. 

In two minutes on center stage in Vegas, Wellmaker went from the guy who studied to the one they’ll study. 

“I watched him drop to the ground, I immediately knew my work was done. You know, it was this huge relief. It was this huge contentment,” he said. 

It was a knockout that would knock out his future plans. 

“I already had the construction job going. I had piping going for myself. I could have made a good living traveling the road, making money like that. I had people tell me, you know, that that’s the route I should take and not to waste my time with fighting,” said Wellmaker. 

Wellmaker was 22 when he started training. Now, he’s 8 years stronger.

“Dana White told me it was time to get busy,” he said. “They could give me a fight next month. I could take it, and then if I do good, I can fight that next month again.” 

He’s the next name from Augusta to hit the UFC. 

“Winning and getting a UFC contract, and being from Augusta, and putting so much focus on Augusta, is to hopefully, you know, inspire a lot of young athletes to pursue the dream of being in the UFC knowing that it can be done,” said Wellmaker. 

Forrest Griffin from Evans took the UFC by storm in the 2000s. His name is now in the Hall of Fame. 

Through Wellmaker’s contract, his requirement is to fight three times over a 12-month period. 

While this has changed his life overnight, he’s still working as a pipefitter. 

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