McGee vows business as usual as 41-year-old prepares for farewell fight at UFC 332

Court McGee is heading into what he expects to be the final fight of his career at UFC 332 against Eric Nolan, but the 41-year-old veteran insists he has no intention of letting retirement dominate his headspace before he steps into the octagon.

McGee acknowledged that his impending retirement was always going to be the central narrative surrounding the bout, but years of experience have taught him to stay locked in on the immediate task. Weight cuts, game-planning, and conditioning still demand his full attention — and he is not about to change that now.

“Here’s the thing in my mind, everybody says their retirement or whatever — I’m not focused too much on retirement or what’s after,” McGee told MMA Fighting. “I’ve been in this game a long time. I don’t ever think past [what’s directly in front of me]. I’ve still got to make weight. There’s still so much to do before I step in the cage.”

McGee was equally clear that the knowledge this is his last fight has not altered his approach in the gym. Where some retiring fighters have spoken about experimenting with new techniques or simply emptying the tank because there is no tomorrow, McGee has stuck rigidly to the same structure he has always followed.

“Business as usual,” he said. “I have a structure, I have a process that I go through. I have structured practices and then obviously I bounce ideas off my coaches and cornermen and training partners.”

He described a training camp that was as demanding as any he has put himself through, with conditioning sessions he called “brutal” and a gym environment sharpened by a run of teammates peaking for their own fights in the weeks leading up to UFC 332.

“So much shit can happen by the time that fight happens but I’m confident in my ability. I’m confident in my preparation. I trained as goddamn hard as any fight I’ve ever had before. I put in the time, I put in the rounds,” McGee said.

The only real difference between this fight and every other in his career, McGee concedes, is what comes after — the plan to hang up his gloves for good once the result is in.