Otari Tanzilovi Scores Head-Kick Knockout Over Malcolm Wellmaker in UFC Vegas
Otari Tanzilovi secured his first UFC victory with a second-round knockout of Malcolm Wellmaker to open the main card of UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Duncan. The bantamweight bout took place Saturday night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas and ended at 2:39 of Round 2 after a head kick dropped Wellmaker and led to the finish.
Tanzilovi entered the fight after dropping a unanimous decision to Shane Collins in his UFC debut in June. The 28-year-old Georgian, who trains in Germany, had previously lost a split decision on Dana White’s Contender Series before compiling a regional record built primarily on knockouts. He carried a professional mark of 10-2 into the bout and needed a win to establish himself on the roster.
Wellmaker, 32, arrived looking to halt a two-fight skid that included a unanimous decision loss to Ethyn Ewing and a second-round rear-naked choke defeat to Juan Diaz. The power puncher had earned first-round knockout victories over Cameron Saaiman and Kris Moutinho after winning on Dana White’s Contender Series. He had relocated to American Top Team in Florida during the recent losses in an effort to refine his game while maintaining his aggressive style.
Both fighters made weight at 136 pounds. Tanzilovi found the opening with a head kick that put Wellmaker down, then followed with ground-and-pound until the referee stopped the contest at 2:39 of the second round. The finish improves Tanzilovi’s record to 11-2 overall and moves his UFC mark to 1-1. Wellmaker drops to 10-3 and 2-3 in the promotion.
The result gives Tanzilovi a significant boost after his debut setback and highlights the danger in his kicking game. For Wellmaker, the third consecutive loss raises questions about his position in the bantamweight division following the move to American Top Team and the early knockout defeats that defined his previous skid.
Tanzilovi’s head-kick knockout should open the door for additional opportunities as he builds on his first win inside the Octagon. Wellmaker will look to regroup after the latest setback while the UFC continues to evaluate the depth of the 135-pound division following Saturday’s results at the Meta Apex.
