Wellmaker admits overconfidence cost him as he targets UFC Vegas 122 comeback

Malcolm Wellmaker has publicly admitted that overconfidence contributed to his two-fight losing streak in the UFC, as he prepares to face Otari Tanzilovi (10-2) at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Wellmaker (10-2) suffered his first professional loss to Ethyn Ewing last November before being submitted by Juan Diaz in May, leaving him 2-2 inside the promotion after earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024.

“My confidence was a little bit high,” Wellmaker said. “I respected him, but not enough. And so, you know, that was a mentality shift, but also like a skill thing too, man.”

The defeats prompted Wellmaker to reassess both his mindset and his training environment. He subsequently joined American Top Team, where he has worked alongside experienced fighters and coaches to address the shortcomings the losses exposed.

“I never had to deal with the loss part until recently, and fortunately those words stuck with me,” Wellmaker said in a pre-fight interview. “So, when I lost my fights, I mean, yeah, that hurt, but, you know, they took nothing away from me. That made me better.”

Despite the setbacks, the 32-year-old is not looking to reinvent himself. He wants to preserve the aggressive, power-based style that earned him a UFC contract and back-to-back victories in his first two promotional appearances, while adding a more disciplined tactical layer.

“I need to go in there, still be aggressive, still try to put this power on people, knock them out cold, but, you know, just do it in a more strategic manner,” Wellmaker said.

Saturday’s bout against Tanzilovi, who shares an identical 10-2 record, represents Wellmaker’s first opportunity to halt the slide and demonstrate that the lessons of the past year have translated into tangible improvement inside the octagon.