Ethyn Ewing looks back on the mayhem of ultra-short notice UFC 322 upset win
NEW YORK – Ethyn Ewing met the media Saturday after his win over Malcolm Wellmaker at UFC 322.
Ewing (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) outworked Wellmaker (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) for a unanimous decision on the prelims at Madison Square Garden. The fight took place at featherweight because Ewing took the bout on only two days’ notice.
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Ewing got the call for the fight just a few days after a knockout win on the regional circuit. It was at featherweight, up a division from his and Wellmaker’s normal weight class at bantamweight, because of the late notice.
In fact, Ewing said he only arrived in New York from Los Angeles the morning of the weigh-ins on a red eye flight, got to the hotel and went straight to the scale. Then, as an underdog under not just the bright lights of the UFC against an opponent who was unbeaten and looked at as a rising contender, pulled off the upset.
“I’ve been ready for this stage,” Ewing said at his post-fight news conference. “I’ve known for a long time. I’ve expected that I would get to this stage. As soon as they called, let’s do it.
“… I knew plenty about Malcolm. Any time I see a bantamweight in the men’s division in the UFC, I watch it closely. Like I said, I’ve been planning for this for a long time. I knew Malcolm brings a punch, I knew that right hand is big for him, I knew he puts people out, and I was prepared for it.”
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Ewing said he’ll be back down to bantamweight for his UFC follow-up. He also said he and his wife are expecting a baby boy in December, so he’d like a chance for a full fight camep – and to cut weight like normal.
But he said early 2026, he’ll be “well prepared and very hungry to get back in the cage.”
Check out Ewing’s post-fight interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ethyn Ewing on mayhem of ultra-short notice UFC 322 upset win