From Augusta to the Octagon: Wellmaker Set for UFC Showdown in Atlanta
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Just after delivering this knockout blow in Kansas City, “The Machine” got on the mic and said, “I want to be on the Atlanta card.”
Wellmaker agreed to a short-notice fight on Wednesday, putting him in the octagon at State Farm Arena next Saturday.
He’ll face Kris Moutinho, who lost his most recent UFC fight.
The matchup came after weeks of exhausting every option. A lot of names fell through before Moutinho’s came up.
Even a short-notice fight is highly respected in the world of UFC. Wellmaker said it levels the playing field and that he knows exactly what he’s up against.
“You know, the short-notice thing always puts a little voice in the back of your head and makes you wonder: how much better could you be prepared? What could you have done differently if you knew who you were fighting and had more time to make a game plan?” Wellmaker said. “But the same thing goes for him. He’s taking the fight on short notice just like I am, and I think that makes it more of a fair fight.”
On Moutinho, he added: “He’s had two UFC fights. One of them was on the biggest stage — a Conor McGregor undercard. He knows what those nerves feel like. He’s been there before, fought the best of the best. So I imagine the confidence he has is going to work in his favor. He’s tough. The guy has heart. He has a chin. I’m sure he’s willing to take his chances. So I’ve got to be prepared to fight somebody with the confidence to walk down the best in the world, and show him that I am the best in the world.”
Wellmaker enters the bout undefeated: 9-0 in MMA, 1-0 in the UFC. Moutinho has slightly more experience overall, at 14-6 in MMA, though he is 0-2 in the UFC.
Wellmaker said he hopes to continue putting Augusta talent on the map.
“Putting attention on Augusta has always been my goal. I was born and raised here,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of attention when it comes to martial arts, and it’s been so long-obviously, between Forrest Griffin and myself since we had this kind of opportunity again.”
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