After contemplating retirement, one of the remaining TUF 17 alumni will be testing the waters in a different division, with the help of a new camp.
It is commonplace for cast members of The Ultimate Fighter to change weight classes after filming, and for one member of season 17, he’ll be doing it conjunction with a location change for camp.
Clint Hester (4-2 UFC) confirmed with Bloody Elbow that he has a matchup at 205 lbs, although the date and opponent are yet to be announced. Hester recently left his gym of X3 in Atlanta, Georgia, to train with Blackzilians in Boca Raton, Florida.
“I’ll always go back and help out in Atlanta, but I gotta go where I can be pushed by the best athletes in the world, and that’s what’s down here I think. They’ve given me a renewed sense of interest in my career. I was on the verge of hanging up my gloves, and I got a call to come down and try it out. I’m excited to learn again and get back in there.”
As for the weight class change, Hester cited difficulty in cuts as the catalyst.
“The weights cuts have gradually gotten harder since coming off the show. I almost missed weight last time. It was stressful. It was stressful during camp, stressful during the week of, and I ended up fighting two fights. I gotta go up.”
Hester is 0-2 in his last two fights, after going 4-0 in the promotion. Stay tuned for more details.