UFC veteran Court McGee says he 'died' for eight minutes after heroin overdose

Court McGee, a 40-year-old UFC welterweight veteran, said he "overdosed on heroin and was gone for eight minutes" in an Instagram post published Wednesday, describing the 2005 incident as a turning point that led to his recovery.

"On September 9, 2005, I overdosed on heroin and was gone for eight minutes," McGee wrote. "What should have been the end of my story became the beginning of a second chance. Today, I carry deep gratitude for recovery — for the breath in my lungs, the strength to live with purpose, and the gift of a life I almost lost. Every day sober is proof that hope is stronger than despair."

McGee said the overdose occurred five years before he signed with the UFC in 2010. In interviews dating back to that signing, he has described a long struggle with substance abuse that began with alcohol and escalated after an injury led to prescription painkillers. In a 2010 interview with KSL, he said he began "hanging out with the wrong people — drinking, partying," and recounted a progression from alcohol to painkillers and then to cocaine and heroin.

He has previously recounted how an injury to his clavicle and subsequent surgery introduced him to painkillers, which he mixed with alcohol. On an episode of The Ultimate Fighter, McGee said, "I took one drink in Vegas and I ended up in Iowa four days later with no pants on and a long sleeve shirt, looking for meth," and described himself at the time as "the heroin addict, the drunk, the liar, the cheat, the thief. That's who I thought I was. I never thought I was going to amount to nothing."

McGee credited recovery with changing the course of his life and career. In a separate Instagram post days before the overdose revelation, he wrote that "recovery has given me a second chance at life — one day at a time, one step at a time," and expressed hope for others still struggling with addiction.

A professional mixed martial artist for more than 15 years, McGee holds a record of 22-14. He has never fought for a UFC title and is currently unranked. McGee is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Michael Chiesa in June and had previously beaten Tim Means in October 2024. He has won only one of his last five fights inside the Octagon.

Outside the cage, McGee and his wife, Chelsea, are parents to three sons: Isaac, 18; Crew, 15; and Nash, 4. In his posts and past interviews he has discussed how family and recovery have reshaped his priorities.

McGee's public reflections add to a long-running conversation within mixed martial arts about substance use, injury-related pain management and the challenges fighters can face outside competition. He has been open about his past mistakes and the role recovery has played in his life, framing the 2005 overdose as a near-fatal episode that ultimately led to a renewed focus on sobriety and career.

The revelation from McGee comes as he continues to compete on the UFC roster and maintain a public presence around his recovery. He has repeatedly emphasized gratitude for the opportunity to rebuild his life and urged those struggling with addiction to seek help.

No further details about the 2005 incident were provided in McGee's Instagram posts, and representatives for McGee did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.