UFC on ESPN 69: Malcolm Wellmaker post-fight interview
UFC on ESPN 69 winner Malcolm Wellmaker talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his KO victory over Kris Moutinho in Atlanta.
ATLANTA – Malcolm Wellmaker met the media Saturday after his win over Kris Moutinho at UFC on ESPN 69.
Wellmaker (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was a huge favorite in his bantamweight fight against Moutinho (14-7 MMA, 0-3 UFC), and he delivered just past the midway point of the first round with a one-punch knockout. Wellmaker got into the UFC through DWCS with a one-punch knockout, and his promotional debut earlier this year in Kansas City was a one-hitter quitter, as well.
“In my heart, I 100 percent knew I was going to knock him out,” Wellmaker said. “I have absolute belief – not just in my power, but in my precision and my timing and my ability to find that shot and set it up on anybody willing to play that game with me. Kris, I knew, was going to be willing to play that game with me.”
Wellmaker, not surprisingly, picked up his second straight performance bonus – and he did it in front of his home fans in Georgia.
With back-to-back one-punch KOs, he’s putting 135-pounders on notice. The win over Moutinho was one over an opponent whom former champ Sean O’Malley needed 15 minutes to beat, which Wellmaker thinks says something. Plus, he’s willing to be busy.
“As active as I can be with the matchups that make sense, I’m absolutely willing to get in there and keep doing what I’m doing,” Wellmaker said. “I’m healthy, the fights are going my way, I’m not taking much damage, and I’m on a roll. This momentum happens, and I think consistent competition only helps me improve. (If the) fights make sense, I’ll stay as active as I can.”
Check out Wellmaker’s post-fight news conference in the video above.
