Wellmaker relocated his family to train at ATT, then suffered his third straight UFC defeat

Malcolm Wellmaker’s most committed camp yet ended in his third consecutive UFC defeat, as Otari Tanzilovi stopped him in the second round of their main card opener at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday.

Tanzilovi ended the fight with a head kick and follow-up punches, halting a performance in which Wellmaker had shown glimpses of his game plan working. The welterweight had moved his entire family to Florida to prepare at American Top Team, a sacrifice he made clear was not taken lightly.

“I gave everything I had to it,” Wellmaker said on Instagram. “Moved my whole family to Florida to prepare for this one. I showed up to every training session I could and gave a 110%. And I improved and I felt like some of those improvements showed during the fight.”

Wellmaker’s strategy had been to close the distance and neutralise Tanzilovi’s kicking game by working the body and controlling pace and volume. He felt the approach was paying off before the decisive exchange. “It was going good until it wasn’t. And I got caught. Hats off to Otari, because he is a great striker. We all knew how dangerous he was.”

Despite the loss, Wellmaker confirmed he escaped without serious injury, which he described as “the biggest blessing.” He acknowledged he still has significant room for development, noting he only began training at ATT a few months ago and did not start fighting or training at all until the age of 23.

The defeat drops Wellmaker to 10-3 overall. He had built his UFC reputation on explosive finishes, earning post-fight bonuses with first-round knockout wins on Dana White’s Contender Series and in each of his first two octagon appearances. His slide began with a decision loss to Ethyn Ewing — who stepped in on two days’ notice — and he has now been finished in back-to-back bouts.

Wellmaker said his future plans remain unclear, but he has no intention of walking away while fighting can still support his family. “As far as the possibility of me providing for my family with fighting is there, I’m gonna pursue it.”