Clint Hester (born November 21, 1986) is an American professional boxer and

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who last competed in 2016. A professional competitor since 2008, he fought in the UFC and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen.

Background

Hester is from Atlanta, Georgia. He often got into fights growing up, but was not an instigator rather defended several of his friends. Hester, who played football, had planned to play college football but decided to take a different path when he was not offered a scholarship.

Boxing career

Hester thought of joining the military after high school, but ultimately chose to start training in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

and was coached by Willie D'Antignac, amassing an amateur record of 13–3. Hester turned professional in 2007 and lost his first bout by first-round knockout. Hester fought six more times until his final fight in 2013. When Hester's boxing gym closed down he searched for another gym to train at before finding X3 Sports MMA. Hester decided to make the switch to

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Hester started his professional MMA career out at 2-0 before being offered a spot in an upcoming local Grand Prix. Hester won his opening round matchup via

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

. He lost in the next round of the tournament to future

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

welterweight title contender,

Douglas Lima Douglas Lima (born 5 January 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is a former three-time Bellator Welterweight Champion. He is also the former MFC Welterweight Champion. ...

, via unanimous decision.

''The Ultimate Fighter''

In January 2013, it was announced that Hester was selected for The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. Hester defeated Fraser Opie by decision to earn his way into the house. He was then selected as Jon Jones's first pick and second pick overall. Hester had his preliminary fight against Team Sonnen's Jimmy Quinlan. Hester was upset in the second round via submission. Though Hester was a candidate for the wildcard, his coach,

Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which he has competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a former two-time UFC L ...

, ultimately picked

Bubba McDaniel Robert "Bubba" McDaniel (born May 3, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly fought as a Middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he went (1–2). He was a member of FX's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Despite losing in the preliminaries, Hester was given a fight at the finale. Hester faced Bristol Marunde at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. Hester won the back-and-forth fight via KO from a standing elbow in the third round. Hester was expected to face

Cezar Ferreira Cezar Jesus Ferreira (born February 15, 1985), better known in his home country Brazil as Cezar Mutante, is a mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, he has competed fo ...

on August 3, 2013, at

UFC 163 ''UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 3, 2013, at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Background The main event was expected to feature current UFC Featherweight Champion, José Aldo taking on fut ...

. However, on July 18, it was announced he was taken out of the bout due to an injury. For his second UFC fight, Hester faced

Dylan Andrews Dylan Andrews (born 15 November 1979) is a mixed martial artist from New Zealand who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of Absolute Championship Berkut. A professional competitor since 2006, he has formerly competed in the UFC, ...

on December 7, 2013, at

UFC Fight Night 33 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 33'') was a mixed martial arts event held on 6 December 2013, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The event was broadcast live on Fox Spo ...

. He won the fight via TKO due to injury after Andrews dislocated his shoulder in the second round. Hester faced

Andy Enz Andy Enz (born August 15, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Enz began wrestling at the age of ...

on February 1, 2014, at

UFC 169 ''UFC 169: Barão vs. Faber 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on February 1, 2014, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event was released on DVD on May 6, 2014. The DVD was distributed by the label ''Anchor Bay Entertainment ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Hester faced

Antônio Braga Neto Antônio Braga Neto (born October 29, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and grappler. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a gold medalist in both the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and Pan American Champi ...

on June 28, 2014, at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens. He won the back and forth fight via split decision. Hester faced Robert Whittaker November 8, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 55 ''UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 55'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on November 8, 2014. Background This event was the fourth event that ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round; the first loss of his UFC career. Despite the loss, Hester was awarded his first ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award for the bout. Hester was expected to face

Luke Barnatt Luke Barnatt (born 13 April 1988) is an English mixed martial artist, and entrepreneur, who fought as a Middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was a member of FX's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen, and has als ...

on April 4, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 63 ''UFC Fight Night: Mendes vs. Lamas'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 63'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 4, 2015, at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Background The event was the third that the organization hosted at the ...

. However, Hester pulled out of the fight in early March due to a broken foot. Hester faced

Vitor Miranda Vitor Miranda (born March 10, 1979) is a Brazilian kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was the K-1 Brazil 2005 and K-1 Turkey 2007 super heavyweight tournament champion. Biography Vitor Miranda was born in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Braz ...

on August 1, 2015, at

UFC 190 ''UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 1, 2015, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between former UFC Bantamwei ...

. He lost the fight by TKO in the second round due to punches and elbows. Hester next faced

Marcos Rogério de Lima Marcos Rogério de Lima (born May 25, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he formerly competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, and was a co ...

in a light heavyweight bout on April 23, 2016, at

UFC 197 ''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...

. He lost the one sided fight via submission in the first round. On June 3 Hester was released from the promotion.

Championships and accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Fight of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:35 ,

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, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Dylan Andrews Dylan Andrews (born 15 November 1979) is a mixed martial artist from New Zealand who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of Absolute Championship Berkut. A professional competitor since 2006, he has formerly competed in the UFC, ...

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Bristol Marunde , KO (elbow) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:53 ,

, United States , Return to

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

. , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , Patrick Miller , TKO (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 47 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:41 ,

Duluth, Georgia Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, Gwinnett County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, Duluth had a ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Rashaun Spencer , TKO (punches) , Tabernacle Fight Party , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:27 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3 , Tomar Washington , Decision (unanimous) , King of the Ring 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 , Cale Yarbrough , Submission (north-south choke) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 31 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:18 ,

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Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

debut. , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Tony Souza , Submission (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 30 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:41 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 , Roger Carroll , Submission (armbar) , Bangkok Fight Night 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:19 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Aaron Johnson , KO (punches) , Sin City Fight Club - Redline GP 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:42 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Dymond Jones , TKO (punches) , Soco de Boss , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Aaron Johnson , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:18 ,

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Professional boxing record

, style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 3 Wins (2 knockouts, 1 decision), 3 Losses, 1 Draw , - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Res. , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Record , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Type , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Rd., Time , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Location , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - , Win , align=center, 3–3–1 , Gary Lavender , align=center, TKO , align=center, 4 (4), 2:35 , align=center, 2012-07-08 , Grand Ballroom, Atlanta, Georgia,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 2–3–1 , Tobias Rice , align=center, Decision (Unanimous) , align=center, 4 (4), 3:00 , align=center, 2011-12-02 , World Congress Center,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 1–3–1 , Alexis Santos , align=center, Decision (Split) , align=center, 4 (4), 3:00 , align=center, 2011-02-26 , Club Europe, Atlanta, Georgia,

, , - , style="background: #B0C4DE", Draw , align=center, 1–2–1 , Jabir Abdul Basit , align=center, Draw , align=center, 4 (4), 3:00 , align=center, 2009-07-03 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 1–2–0 , Evan Nedd , align=center, TKO , align=center, 3 (4), 1:52 , align=center, 2009-01-30 , UVI Sports & Fitness Center, Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1–0 , Jeremy Thomas , align=center, KO , align=center, 2 (4), 0:46 , align=center, 2008-05-09 , Center Stage,

, , - , loss , align=center, 0–1–0 , Francisco Alvarez , align=center, KO , align=center, 1 (4), 2:26 , align=center, 2007-09-14 ,

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Kissimmee, Florida Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

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References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hester, Clint Sportspeople from Marietta, Georgia American male mixed martial artists 1986 births Living people Mixed martial artists from Georgia (U.S. state) Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters