(PRESS RELEASE) -- Spike TV will showcase three former cast members of “The Ultimate Fighter,” including the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 11,” Court McGee, in live undercard bouts from “UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velazquez” on Saturday, October 23 at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT from the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. In the evening’s first televised bout, “The Ultimate Fighter 4” finalist Patrick “The Predator” Cote will battle season 8’s Tom Lawlor. Following that bout, McGee, in his first fight since winning “The Ultimate Fighter” crown this past June, takes on veteran Ryan Jensen.
Fighting out of Orlando, FL, Lawlor, renowned for his exciting entrances into the Octagon, is one of the most colorful and charismatic personalities in the UFC. He began his UFC career with a win over Kyle Kingsbury at the “The Ultimate Fighter 8” finale in December 2008, and followed that victory up with a first round submission of CB Dollaway via guillotine that earned him “Submission of the Night” honors at UFC 100 in July 2009. In his next bout, Lawlor dropped a split decision to Aaron Simpson at UFC Fight Night 20 this past January that was named “Fight of the Night,” but Lawlor was unable to bounce back with win from that defeat, as he lost via submission to Joe Doerksen at UFC 113 in May. He looks to turn things around against the veteran Cote.
The evening’s second televised bout is also a middleweight contest, and pits McGee (11-1) against Jensen (16-5). Fighting out of Orem, UT, 25-year old Court McGee is aiming to continue one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the history of mixed martial arts. McGee is a former heroin addict who was actually once pronounced dead by EMTs when they arrived on the scene after an overdose in 2005. McGee emerged from a six day coma after the incident and went through an extensive physical rehab program, relearning basic motor skills such as walking. Wrestling, karate and jiu jitsu were a pipe dream at the time, yet five years later, McGee finds himself in the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts organization. He defeated Kris McCray to win this past season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” in June, submitting his opponent via rear-naked choke in the second round, garnering the “Submission of the Night” award. He looks to win his first bout since the show against veteran Ryan Jensen.
A competitor in mixed martial arts since 1997, Omaha native Ryan Jensen currently trains with Greg Jackson and the prestigious Jackson’s MMA team in Albuquerque, NM. He enters his bout with McGee having split his last four fights in the UFC, with submission wins against Steve Steinbeiss and Jesse Forbes (which earned him “Submission of the Night” honors at UFC 114). On October 23rd, he hopes to win his second straight against the rising star, McGee.
Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.
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