Court McGee is officially hanging up the gloves this Saturday at UFC 332, bringing an end to an almost 20-year career that saw him win Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter. But get this: after literally decades of grinding, he’s walking away on his own terms and feeling *good*. McGee, who holds a 22-14 MMA record and 11-13 in the UFC, is taking on Eric Nolan (8-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in a welterweight bout for his final dance.
The Long Goodbye He Planned All Along
This isn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision, folks. McGee has had retirement on his mind for years. He even knew a couple of years back, when he signed his most recent four-fight deal with the UFC, that this contract would be his last. “Yeah, it’s a retirement fight, but I knew it a couple of years ago when I signed this four-fight deal, so I knew it was coming to an end, and I felt confident with it,” McGee told MMA Junkie. Can you imagine knowing the exact end date of such an intense career for so long?
The dude is 41 and turning 42 this year. He’s got three kids, a wife, and even a gym to run. It’s a young man’s sport, he says, and he wants to keep his “wits about me” when it’s all said and done. He’s made peace with the decision, and honestly, who can blame him? The man is looking at the long game for his family and his future.
Prioritizing Health After a Brutal Career
This is the wildest part of the whole thing: McGee is making health his absolute number one priority. Before his fight with Alex Morono in 2024, he went through neck surgery, and he says he hadn’t felt that good in years after recovering. He feels healthy right now, but he’s had a mind-boggling 17 or 18 pretty major surgeries over his career. Think about that for a second. That’s insane!
He’s not doing this for the payday anymore, either. “Leaving healthy is my biggest concern now,” McGee explained. “It’s still lucrative to continue to fight, but what are you doing it for? Is it the payday? I don’t want to end and just be in shambles, and right now I feel healthy, but not, ‘Hey, I feel healthy , let’s negotiate four more.’ I want to continue to feel healthy.” That’s real talk right there, putting his long-term well-being above another check.
A Fairytale Ending in His Own Backyard
As if the story wasn’t already perfect, McGee gets to step into the octagon for his final time in Salt Lake City, his home state. How cool is that? This fight at UFC 332 is happening just 30 minutes from where he grew up and about 45 minutes from where he lives now.
“The cool thing is the opportunity to finish in Salt Lake City, in my home state,” he gushed. “It couldn’t have worked out better. The last fight of the end of my contract is in my home state after 16 years? Bro, when does that happen? I’m more just grateful for the opportunity to finish here in Utah.” What a way to go out. This Saturday, he gets to have his final professional fight in front of his home crowd, surrounded by friends and family. It’s the kind of send-off most fighters can only dream of. Don’t miss this welterweight showdown, because Court McGee is stepping away from the cage, on his own terms and healthy, and that’s a legacy we can all respect.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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