Athletes
COURT MCGEE | RETURN OF THE CRUSHER
Welterweight Veteran Talks Longevity, Facing A Fellow TUF Winner, And Feeling Better Than Ever
There are a number of impressive numbers and dates to consider as Court McGee readies to make the walk to the Octagon this weekend for an Ultimate Fighter winner’s showdown with Michael Chiesa in Atlanta.
Saturday’s fight card comes 15 years less a handful of days since “The Crusher” defeated Kris McCray, meaning it will have been 5,475 days since the now 40-year-old Utah native punched his ticket to the UFC. It’s also the first time in nearly 15 years that he heads into a contest coming off a stoppage victory, as his first-round submission win over Tim Means last October at UFC 307 gave McGee his first finish inside the Octagon in 5,097 days.
And it’s also a meeting between the two longest standing winners of the long-running reality TV competition remaining on the roster — a bout between Season 11’s middleweight victor and TUF: Live’s triumphant lightweight.
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“That’s pretty bad a**!” McGee said when I told him that last fact on Wednesday afternoon over Zoom. “That’s pretty awesome, and it shows that that show produced some gnarly dudes.”
But as always, that ultra-cool achievement and none of what the 23-fight veteran has accomplished in his near 15-year run on the roster would be possible with the number that forever remains most important to McGee: the 6,994 days of continuous sobriety he had through our talk earlier in the week and the 6,997 days he’ll have when he navigates three more days without having a drink or doing drugs before he makes the walk on Saturday night.
As we spoke, I shared with McGee something that Chiesa had said to me when asked about his opponent this weekend earlier in the week.
“The importance of what he’s accomplished goes far beyond what he’s done in the Octagon, and for him to overcome his personal struggles with his sobriety, I can’t express how much admiration I have for this guy” is what Chiesa said, which is a sentiment I and many others echo.
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When presented to McGee and asked for his thoughts, the bearded, bespectacled battler took a moment, before trying to sum up his thoughts as best as he could.
“It makes me proud to be a dad, to be a husband, to be an Ultimate Fighter winner, to be a professional athlete, a UFC fighter that people can look at me that way,” began McGee, who, like Chiesa, is undefeated against former TUF winners, having bested Robert Whittaker in his one and only opportunity against another member for the exclusive club ahead of Saturday’s engagement. "It shows me that staying the path, staying the course, never giving up, and staying sober one day at a time has led to one of the most incredible journeys that I know of.
“I’ve earned the right to fight in the UFC, and it’s incredible to fight anybody in the UFC, but to have them admire you — that’s an incredible feeling. I’m honored to be looked at that way; it brings me tremendous joy and gratitude.”
And the feeling is absolutely mutual.
“I admire him because I know he went through adversity when he was on the show,” McGee said in regards to Chiesa. “He overcame tremendous adversity and I’ve always looked up to him, always rooted for him, and now I get a chance to share the Octagon with that guy.
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“It’s special facing another Ultimate Fighter winner; someone who went through the same circumstances that I went through in the house, overcoming adversity,” he added. “There is no animosity, but I’m coming to finish him, and I wouldn’t expect anything different from him or want anything different from him.”
The conviction and certainty with which he expressed his intentions wouldn’t have been the same a little over a year ago.
Heading into his April 2024 clash with Alex Morono, McGee was just working his way back from a serious neck injury that had him unsure about his future. While he landed on the wrong side of the scorecards, he felt better than he had in years, and quickly asked for the opportunity to compete in his home state in October, having missed the chance the previous two times the UFC visited Salt Lake City’s Delta Center.
His request was granted, and in the opening bout of the night, McGee rolled into the Octagon and rolled up Means, submitting his fellow veteran in a little more than three minutes, halting his two-fight slide and earning his first finish since he similarly tapped Ryan Jensen at UFC 121 in Anaheim more than 14 years prior.
“It felt so good,” he said of the experience, a big smile spreading across his face. “I’ve felt like that in the past, but it had been a while. I didn’t realize how much pain I was in or how debilitating my neck was. I changed my shots, changed things up a little bit, but I got to go back to the original shot I was good at and there was no hesitation.
“It was one of those feelings that is indescribable,” McGee admitted earnestly, before adding, “ And I didn’t have to take any time off! My neck wasn’t f***** up and my s*** wasn’t broken, so I was back in the gym the next week, teaching classes, practicing.”
Though he chased his words with a chuckle, there is a lot of seriousness baked into those words, as the father of three has committed his last 15 years to earning a living inside the Octagon, and has navigated all the twists and turns that come with such a lengthy tenure fighting the best in the world, including plenty of time on the sidelines dealing with injuries.
Now, all these years, all these fights later, he’s finally feeling healthy, and getting the opportunity to write the final chapter of his career himself, on his own terms.
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“Years ago, I didn’t see the end; I didn’t want to talk about the end, that this will be coming to an end,” began McGee, who wanted no part of discussing retirement when we spoke in October ahead of his fight with Means. “Now I know that it’s coming to an end — there’s only a few fights left in my contract, these are great matchups, and it’s coming to the end.
"I couldn’t be in a better spot,” he continued, his excitement changing the tone and tempo of his voice. “I have confidence, I’m fully committed, and I don’t wanna leave this thing thinking ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’ and I haven’t. I’m in such a good position right now, physically and mentally, and if somebody beats me, they f*****’ earned it and my hat is off to you.
“But I’m coming to win. Every second I’m in there, I’m coming to win, and I’m gonna leave this fighting thing whenever it’s time to hang it up. I want my last round to be my best round. I want my last fight to be my best fight.”
At this moment, 5,472 days after he beat McCray to join the fraternity of Ultimate Fighter winners and claim his place on the roster, you could make the case that those last two statements currently hold true.
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But McGee is focused on upping the ante this weekend.
“You’re gonna see fireworks,” he said when asked how he follows up his finish of Means. “I’m coming out fast. With the confidence that I can take shots, take a hit, and come back swinging, I’m coming out fast and I’m coming out to break him.
“I am gonna pressure and push and move and swarm this guy until he doesn’t want to be in there anymore.”
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