MMA Knockout

UFC newcomer upsets undefeated KO artist on 2 days' notice at UFC 322

The UFC debutant just won a regional MMA title last weekend.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

The bright lights of Madison Square Garden did nothing to shake Ethyn Ewing during his short-notice Octagon debut at UFC 322.

Arguably the most highly-anticipated UFC card of the year, the majority of the attention leading up to UFC 322 was understandably fixated on the two title bouts that will see Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang both try to claim their second UFC belts when they challenge Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko.

The prelims were also stacked with plenty of fantastic fights such as Ewing's promotional debut against Malcolm Wellmaker, who was one of three undefeated fighters competing at UFC 322.

Ethyn Ewing Upsets Malcolm Wellmaker In UFC Debut

Originally slated to face Cody Haddon, Wellmaker was faced with a late-notice opponent change when Haddon withdrew from the fight and was replaced by Ewing the day before the UFC 322 weigh-ins.

READ MORE: UFC 322 free live stream results & highlights for Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev

"The Machine" earned a UFC contract with a first-round knockout on Dana White's Contender Series last summer before extending his unbeaten record to 10-0 with another pair of first-round finishes earlier this year, both of which earned Wellmaker "Performance of the Night" bonuses.

Ewing was making his UFC debut on extremely short notice but came into the fight in shape after winning the A1 Combat bantamweight title with a first-round knockout of his own last Saturday, and right from the opening bell the 27-year-old made it clear that he wasn't intimidated by Wellmaker's vaunted knockout power.

The two men got to show off a bit of their grappling prowess during 15 minutes of action but were largely content with standing and trading on the feet, and it was Ewing who managed to outland Wellmaker and win all three rounds on two of the judges' scorecards.

READ MORE: Undefeated UFC phenom stuns UFC 322 crowd with vicious faceplant KO

Two wins just a week apart brought the 27-year-old's pro MMA record to 9-2, with seven of those victories coming via finish. Like UFC 322 headliner Della Maddalena, Ewing came up short in his first two pro fights but has now won nine-straight bouts after shattering Wellmaker's undefeated record.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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