UFC fighter Malcolm Wellmaker has been garnering attention on social media as of late, as it was recently revealed that the bantamweight prospect used to be a hip-hop music producer and sent an instrumental to Chicago superstar rapper Chief Keef back in 2014.
Wellmaker’s music ended up as the beat for Chief Keef’s song, “Ignorant,” which was initially shelved by the rapper’s major label, Interscope Records, but later released in the 2020 mixtape, “The GloFiles, Pt. 4.”
Advertisement
Malcolm WellmakerWilliam Purnell-Imagn Images
Wellmaker’s Producer Origins
Here is the song, posted on Chief Keef’s official YouTube channel:
This interesting story of an unlikely connection between MMA and hip-hop started to go viral recently when songwriter, music producer, and streamer BigheadOnTheBeat revealed Wellmaker’s music credentials on a live stream:
Wellmaker first explained his music production origins in a YouTube interview with MMA content creator “Krazy Kev” in 2024.
Advertisement
The UFC prospect shared his behind-the-scenes story about his aspiring music career via his Instagram:
Long before he made his UFC Octagon debut, a 19-year-old Wellmaker was part of a producer duo named “Wolves” after he met his friend Jules while attending Georgia Southern University.
“As you can imagine, 19 years old with nothing, this was the peak of our life. We thought we made it,” he wrote in the caption. “Crazy it only has 24 likes because in my memory I thought we turned the world upside down.”
Advertisement
“When we produced the song for Chief Keef, we had conversations via email with his label because he planned on using it on his next upcoming album. But before the album was released, Interscope Records parted ways with him and just like that it never happened,” he revealed.
Since the story has gained traction, however, Wellmaker and his friend Jules were credited for the song’s production on the famed music database, Genius.
“That alone would have changed our lives back then,” he added.
Advertisement
Wellmaker Chases UFC Dreams
Wellmaker eventually stepped away from music just three years later at age 22 to pursue a career in MMA. While fighting on the regional scene, he was working a blue-collar job as a union pipefitter and welder (h/t UFC):
Eventually, Wellmaker won a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series with a stellar knockout of Adam Bramhald.
Wellmaker continued the impressive finishing run with his UFC debut, when he knocked out South African fighter Cameron Saaiman, followed by a knockout of Chris Moutinho (h/t ESPN Aus & NZ and Full Send MMA on X):
Advertisement
Unfortunately for Wellmaker, his undefeated professional run came to an end when he lost an exciting decision to the underdog, Ethyn Ewing, who made his UFC debut against Wellmaker:
He then lost to another UFC debutant, Juan Diaz, via rear-naked choke submission. The consecutive losses prompted Wellmaker to leave his hometown gym in Georgia to join the famed American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Under a new coaching staff and with renewed motivation to chase his UFC dreams, Wellmaker hopes to get back in the win column in a rumored fight against Otari Tanzilovi on Oct. 10.
Advertisement
With his newly rediscovered fame as a former beat maker for Chief Keef, maybe “Ignorant” can be his next walkout song, and maybe the Chicago rapper can walk out alongside him.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
