LAS VEGAS – “The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale” took place Saturday night, June 19, at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev.

The event was the culmination of Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz” reality show which featured a 16-man middleweight (185 lbs.) professional mixed martial arts tournament.

As with each season, the fighters competed for the ultimate prize of a six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

This season’s winner was Team Liddell fighter, 25-year-old Court McGee (10-1).

Road to the Championship

McGee fought a total of five times to earn the coveted title of “The Ultimate Fighter”. Here is what his road to the championship looked like:

  1. To get into the house McGee defeated Seth Baczynski via unanimous decision in the elimination round. It was a close fight that was tied after two rounds, and therefore went into a “sudden victory” third round.
  2. In his next fight, the preliminary round, McGee actually lost a controversial majority decision to Nick Ring. Many people had the fight tied after two rounds and thought it should have gone into a “sudden victory” third round.
  3. Due to the controversial loss, Dana White selected to bring McGee back after Rich Attonito broke his hand. In the quarter-finals McGee submitted James Hammortree with a standing guillotine in the second round.
  4. In the semi-finals, the fight went into “sudden victory” and McGee dropped Brad Tavares with a left hook and submitted him with a rear-naked choke to secure his place in the finals.
  5. In the “TUF 11 Finale” (finals), McGee repeatedly took Team Ortiz’s Kris McCray to the ground, wore him down, and submitted him with a rear-naked choke in round two to become The Ultimate Fighter.

McGee not only won a contract with the UFC Saturday night, but was also awarded a $25,000 bonus for ‘Submission of the Night”. For a complete detailed description on McGee’s win over McCray in the finals, look at ProMMAnow.com’s “The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale results and play-by-play”.

A few Facts about Court McGee

  • Just a few years ago, Court McGee’s life was much different than it is today. A former drug user, McGee suffered a heroin overdose in 2005 that nearly took his life.
  • He used to work as a plumber. He quit the day he signed the contract to fight UFC veteran and MMA legend Jeremy Horn.
  • McGee’s only professional loss was to Jeremy Horn (84-19-5) via unanimous decision on Dec. 1, 2007. It was McGee’s seventh fight that year, and his first year as a professional fighter.
  • When Jeremy Horn fought Court McGee, it was Horn’s 100th recorded fight as a professional. It was McGee’s seventh.
  • A week before his fight with Horn, McGee tried out for “The Ultimate Fighter” but was cut from the audition.
  • McGee holds a professional boxing record of 2-0.
  • McGee holds a submission win over current UFC welterweight Damarques Johnson back in 2007.

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