16-Year UFC Veteran Retires After Heartbreaking KO at UFC 332
A veteran UFC fighter has hung up his boots after his UFC 332 bout ended in a devastating knockout loss.
Former The Ultimate Fighter champion Court McGee took to the Octagon one final time on Saturday. Having spent over 16 years with the promotion, McGee's retirement didn't exactly go how he'd have intended.
Court McGee Officially Retires After UFC 332 Disappointment
Rising youngster Eric Nolan, who made his UFC debut only last year, made quick work of Court McGee. Picking up his first UFC victory, Nolan stopped 'The Crusher' with a lethal right hand with just two minutes left on the clock. Despite the victory, Nolan gave up his mic time for the welterweight veteran in a heartwarming gesture.
The 41-year-old shared an inspiring speech in his post-fight Octagon interview.
“Listen, none of this would be possible — 20 years I got sober, and 16 of those I’ve been fighting the best guys in the world. My hat’s off to Eric. I left everything in this cage every time I fought. I grew up 20 miles from here. Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t achieve your dreams," McGee told Joe Rogan.
Thank you for everything đź‘Ź @Court_McGee puts the gloves down after #UFC332! https://t.co/WK85mLT4eU
— UFC (@ufc) October 3, 2026
Although the retiring bout ended with a final scar on his resume, McGee has done more than enough in his 20-year MMA career to leave a lasting influence on the sport. In fact, there couldn't have been a better venue than Salt Lake City to close this chapter for McGee, who is a Utah native.
From Drugs to Octagon: Remembering Court McGee's UFC Legacy
Stepping away from the Octagon reminds us of the sheer grit and dedication that underlined Court McGee's MMA career. In fact, the UFC veteran even bounced back from periods of severe drug dependency.
After a college injury, McGee first turned to pain medication, which he then mixed with alcohol and progressed to cocaine and heroin. However, after a fatal overdose incident at just 20 years old that resulted in clinical death before first responders revived him, McGee completely turned his life around.
Despite struggles with relapses, the Utah fighter ultimately went sober on April 16, 2006. Just four short years later, Court McGee competed in TUF season 11 after Rich Attonito withdrew because of injury. Stepping in on the show's quarterfinals, he submitted James Hammortree and Brad Tavares before ultimately winning the finals against Kris McCray via rear-naked choke.
Since then, the UFC welterweight has had 25 total outings in the promotion, sharing the cage with the likes of Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker. And McGee may be leaving the Octagon, but he remains a prime example of what determination and perseverance achieve.
