Gan McGee (born November 20, 1976) is an American

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 has competed for the

UFC 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 ...

PRIDE Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

, WEC and the

XFC Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a premier international mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in Spring Lake, Michigan, with offices throughout the United States and South America. The XFC showcases both male and female fighters, ad ...

Background

McGee was born in

Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...

to Marguerite McGee (nee Ohde) and Curtis Warren McGee. McGee dominated on the

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

team at

Ukiah High School Ukiah High School (also referred to as UHS or "Ukiahi") is the oldest public high school in Ukiah, California, the seat of Mendocino County. Established in 1893, it is the largest school by enrollment and only four-year comprehensive high schoo ...

and then continued his career at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

and

California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California or California State Polytechnic Univ ...

Career

McGee debuted with the

UFC 28 ''UFC 28: High Stakes'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 17, 2000 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. History UFC 28 marked the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC even ...

on November 17, 2000. He faced fellow debutant

Josh Barnett Joshua Lawrence Barnett (born November 10, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist, submission grappler, professional wrestler and color commentator currently signed to Bellator MMA, where he competes in their Heavyweight division. Barnett p ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. McGee returned to the

in 2002 after a short stint in WEC where he won two fights. His return fight was against

Pedro Rizzo Pedro Augusto Rizzo (; born 3 May 1974) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed for the UFC, PRIDE, M-1 Global, and Affliction. Although he never captured the UFC Heavyweight Championship, Rizzo competed for i ...

UFC 39 ''UFC 39: The Warriors Return'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 27, 2002, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was broadcast live on pay per view in the United States ...

on September 27, 2002. He won via TKO after Rizzo was unable to continue past the first round. His next fight was against

Alexandre Dantas Alexandre Fernandes Dantas (born 1 March 1979) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor and competitor. Dantas formerly fought mixed martial artist. He competed in the Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wr ...

UFC 41 ''UFC 41: Onslaught'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 28, 2003, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and late ...

on February 28, 2003. He won via TKO in the first round. On September 26, 2003, McGee earned a shot at the

UFC Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

at UFC 44: Undisputed against 6 ft. 8 in.

Tim Sylvia Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, professional wrestler, and a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. He has competed as a Super Heavyweight and Heavyweight. While he is best kno ...

in a match that was dubbed "The Battle of the Giants." McGee lost this fight via TKO in the first round. After the fight,

tested positive for steroids during a mandatory post-fight drug test and was stripped of his title. Even though his opponent was caught using performance-enhancing drugs, the UFC denied McGee a rematch for the championship. As a result, McGee lost his passion for fighting. "Tim Sylvia is a great fighter and the video tape doesn't lie, he beat the hell out of me," said McGee from his San Luis Obispo training camp. "Did the steroids make a difference? Different people have different theories, I guess. But for me, what hurt the most was sacrificing absolutely everything I had to finally achieve my dream of becoming a world champion, and then falling short. And when it became clear that UFC wasn't going to consider me for a second title shot, my entire world collapsed. I felt like a part of me had just died. It was beyond devastating." Gan McGee then left UFC and joined the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

-based

MMA organization. He lost his two fights with the organization via decision and

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the arm is known as an armbar, and it includes the traditional armbar, pr ...

. But, by his own admission, his heart was no longer in the fight game: "Culturally and personally, being in Japan was an amazing experience," McGee stated. "I mean, from the ceilings to the shower fixtures, everything is so small over there—I felt a little like Godzilla trampling the villagers. But professionally, I never really recovered from the Sylvia fight. Mentally, I lost that edge—that killer instinct. Call it the 'Eye of the Tiger' or whatever you want; I was just going through the motions, unfocused and uncaring. And after losing my second fight in the Orient, I swore to myself that I would never step foot (sic) in a steel cage again—not until I regain my warrior's mentality." In 2008, McGee now claimed that he regained his long lost passion and embarked on a comeback that he hopes will culminate with the heavyweight world title. His first comeback fight was at Xtreme Fighting Championships#XFC 5: Return of the Giant on September 13, 2008, at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. He won via second-round

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 said "It took years of introspection and self-discovery, but I finally realized that God made me a giant and blessed me with this mind-blowing power for a reason: to be the most destructive heavyweight champion that's ever walked on planet Earth," McGee stated. "Writers write, teachers teach -- and giants destroy. For so many years I tried to run away from my destiny -- to be something I'm not -- but that part of my life has come to a screeching halt. My intensity level is off the charts right now; if I've gotta tear down buildings, smash open skulls or annihilate whole cities to get another title shot, then that's what I'll do. This time around, 'The Giant' will stand tall." He lost his last fight at Pure Combat 9 via KO (Punches) in the third round.

Championships and Accomplishments

*International Fighting Championship **IFC Warriors Challenge 7 Tournament Winner

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 13–5 ,

Anthony Ruiz Anthony Ruiz (born November 3, 1977) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions of MMA. A professional since 2003, he has competed for Bellator MMA, Strikeforce, the W ...

, KO (punches) , Pure Combat 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:14 ,

Visalia, California Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Johnathan Ivey , TKO (punches) , XFC 5: Return of the Giant , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,

Semmy Schilt Sem "Semmy" Schilt (; born 27 October 1973) is a Dutch former kickboxer, Ashihara karateka and mixed martial artist. He stands 212 cm and weighs 171 kg. He is a four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and one-time Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam ...

, Submission (armbar) ,

PRIDE Total Elimination 2004 The year 2004 is the 8th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2004 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 27 - Inferno''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The followi ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:02 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 ,

Heath Herring Heath Herring (born March 2, 1978) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division of Rizin. While perhaps best known for competing in PRIDE, he has also formerly competed for the UFC and K-1. ...

, Decision (split) ,

PRIDE 27 The year 2004 is the 8th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2004 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 27 - Inferno''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The followi ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–2 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

UFC 44 ''UFC 44: Undisputed'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 26, 2003, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:49 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, TKO (corner stoppage) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Ron Faircloth , TKO (punches) ,

WEC 2 ''WEC 2: Clash of the Titans'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 4, 2001, at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. ''WEC 2s main event was a fight between Gan McGee and Ron Faircloth. Results ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:12 ,

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 ,

Seth Petruzelli Seth Christopher Petruzelli (born December 3, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and entrepreneur. Petruzelli competed in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions for the UFC, WEC, Eli ...

, Submission (heel hook) ,

WEC 1 ''WEC 1: Princes of Pain'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 30, 2001, at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. ''WEC 1s main event was a fight between Dan Severn and Travis Fulton. Results See also ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Rocky Batastini , TKO (cut) , IFC WC 12: Warriors Challenge 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:12 ,

Friant, California Friant (formerly, Converse Ferry, Jones Ferry, Hamptonville, and Pollasky) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 549 at the 2010 census, down from 778 at the 2000 census. Friant is locat ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:34 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Brad Gabriel , TKO (punches) , IFC: Battleground 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 ,

Paul Buentello Paul Anthony Buentello (born January 16, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1997, Buentello competed in the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, Affliction, King of the Cage, Shark Fights, ACB, Legacy FC, a ...

, TKO (submission to punches) , IFC WC 7: Warriors Challenge 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:44 ,

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 ,

Tim Lajcik Timothy Matthew Lajcik ( cs, Lajčík; born June 21, 1965) is a retired American mixed martial artist, stuntman, actor and writer. Lajcik competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Pancrase. He lost his l ...

, TKO (submission to strikes) , IFC WC 7: Warriors Challenge 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:38 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Jason Jones , TKO (punches) , IFC WC 7: Warriors Challenge 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 6:48 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,

Aaron Brink Aaron Franklin Brink (born November 12, 1974), also known by his stage name Dick Delaware, is an American professional mixed martial artist and pornographic film actor who competes in the Light Heavyweight division. He has competed for King of ...

, TKO (submission to punches) , CFF: The Cobra Challenge 1999 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:09 ,

Anza, California Anza is a census-designated place located in southern Riverside County, California, in the Anza Valley, a semi-arid region at a mean elevation of above sea level. It is located south of Idyllwild, east-northeast of Temecula, southwest of P ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Ricky Herro , align=center, N/A , IFC WC 5: Warriors Challenge 5 , , align=center, N/A , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Sam Adkins , TKO (punches) , BRI 4: Bas Rutten Invitational 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:58 ,

Littleton, Colorado Littleton is a home rule municipality city located in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistica ...

, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McGee, Gan 1976 births American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from North Dakota Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Living people Sportspeople from Bismarck, North Dakota Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters