Kris McCray
Encyclopedia
Kris Eric Johannes McCray (born September 24, 1981) is an American
mixed martial artist
. He was the runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz
.
to Calvin and Barbara McCray as the middle child in between his two brothers, Dominique and Thomas. He is of African American
, Austrian and Mexican
descent.
Since his father was in the Army and stationed in Germany, McCray lived there, as well as Arizona, for most of his early childhood. He eventually moved to Woodbridge, Virginia
, where he graduated from high school at Woodbridge High School in 1998.
McCray attended college at George Mason University
, while he was teaching high school wrestling in his spare time. McCray entered the U.S. Army Reserve at age 21, and spent six years in the service.
and Karate
. In high school, McCray was a part of the wrestling team. During his time in the service, McCray began learning Jiu-Jitsu, and upon returning home, he joined Team Gold Medal Grappling, a Lloyd Irvin affiliate.
McCray obtained a perfect 10–0 amateur record before turning pro. His pro career has mainly consisted of fights for the Virginia based promotion, Ultimate Warrior Challenge.
He was selected third and fifth overall by Team Punishment, led by Tito Ortiz. For his second fight he was chosen to fight Josh Bryant
. The fight was back and forth and after three rounds, Bryant was awarded the decision.
McCray was then selected as one of the season's wildcards. He then faced Kyacey Uscola
in a second chance to get into the quarter finals. In the second round, having controlled a large portion of the fight, McCray was able to submit Uscola with an americana
and advanced to the quarter finals.
McCray would then face good friend Kyle Noke
. McCray arguably controlled the fight after succeeding in multiple takedown attempts that Noke had little answer to. Noke's submission attempts were also effectively neutralised and McCray pulled off the victory with a unanimous decision after three rounds.
That win advanced McCray into the semi-finals where he would have a rematch with Josh Bryant who had defeated him earlier in the competition. After winning by unanimous decision, McCray moved on to face Court McGee
in the finals to determine the next Ultimate Fighter.
McCray set the new record for total fights competed in during a season, having fought 5 times in total. Dana White commented during the final episode that McCray had fought "literally every Tuesday" since he got in the house.
This advanced him to the TUF 11 finale
where he faced Team Liddell fighter, Court McGee
in the main event.
His first fight on the contract took place at UFC 122
in the welterweight division. McCray faced UFC newcomer Carlos Eduardo Rocha
, and lost by kneebar submission in the first round. He moved his camp from Team Gold Medal Grappling in Washington, D.C.
, to Toms River, New Jersey
, with the Renzo Gracie Combat Team.
McCray fought John Hathaway
on March 26, 2011, at UFC Fight Night 24. The fight was closely contested throughout. However, Hathaway walked away the winner via split decision.
Following the loss to Hathaway, McCray was released from the organization.
account, McCray is married.
|align=center| 7-3
|
Gemiyale Adkins
| Decision (unanimous)
| Cage Fight 9
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Scranton, Pennsylvania
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6-3
| Kevin Nowaczyk
| Decision (unanimous)
| HFC 9 Fall Brawl
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Valparaiso, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 5–3
|
John Hathaway
| Decision (split)
| UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Seattle, Washington
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 5–2
|
Carlos Eduardo Rocha
| Submission (kneebar)
| UFC 122
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:21
|Oberhausen, Germany
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 5–1
| Court McGee
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:41
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| Marcus Ajian
| Submission (shoulder lock)
| Ballroom Battleground 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:45
|Glen Burnie, Maryland
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
| Igor Almeida
| TKO (punches)
| UWC 7: Redemption
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:39
|Fairfax, Virginia
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
| Ronnie West
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UWC 6: Capital Punishment
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:39
|Fairfax, Virginia
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
| Manny Okorie
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UWC 5: Man O' War
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:51
|Fairfax, Virginia
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
| Joey Kirwan
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UWC 4: Confrontation
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:35
|Fairfax, Virginia
, United States
|
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. He was the runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz was the eleventh installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The show began taping in early 2010 and premiered on Spike on March 31, 2010...
.
Early life
McCray was born in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to Calvin and Barbara McCray as the middle child in between his two brothers, Dominique and Thomas. He is of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, Austrian and Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
descent.
Since his father was in the Army and stationed in Germany, McCray lived there, as well as Arizona, for most of his early childhood. He eventually moved to Woodbridge, Virginia
Woodbridge, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
, where he graduated from high school at Woodbridge High School in 1998.
McCray attended college at George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
, while he was teaching high school wrestling in his spare time. McCray entered the U.S. Army Reserve at age 21, and spent six years in the service.
Mixed martial arts career
At age 12, McCray began learning TaekwondoTaekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
and Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
. In high school, McCray was a part of the wrestling team. During his time in the service, McCray began learning Jiu-Jitsu, and upon returning home, he joined Team Gold Medal Grappling, a Lloyd Irvin affiliate.
McCray obtained a perfect 10–0 amateur record before turning pro. His pro career has mainly consisted of fights for the Virginia based promotion, Ultimate Warrior Challenge.
The Ultimate Fighter
McCray was selected as a contestant for the eleventh season of the Ultimate Fighter. Before he could move into the house, McCray had to win his entry fight against Cleburn Walker, where he won via a verbal submission after injuring Walker's shoulder.He was selected third and fifth overall by Team Punishment, led by Tito Ortiz. For his second fight he was chosen to fight Josh Bryant
Josh Bryant (fighter)
Josh Bryant is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz.-Early life:...
. The fight was back and forth and after three rounds, Bryant was awarded the decision.
McCray was then selected as one of the season's wildcards. He then faced Kyacey Uscola
Kyacey Uscola
Kyacey Uscola is an American professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz. Uscola has fought for brands such as Bodog Fight, KOTC, Gladiator Challenge, and Palace Fighting Championships...
in a second chance to get into the quarter finals. In the second round, having controlled a large portion of the fight, McCray was able to submit Uscola with an americana
Armlock
An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint and/or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyperflexes or hyperrotates the shoulder joint is referred to as a shoulder lock, and an armlock that hyperextends the elbow joint is called...
and advanced to the quarter finals.
McCray would then face good friend Kyle Noke
Kyle Noke
Kyle Noke is an Australian professional mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Noke has also fought for EliteXC and the Australian fighting promotion Spartan Reality Fight...
. McCray arguably controlled the fight after succeeding in multiple takedown attempts that Noke had little answer to. Noke's submission attempts were also effectively neutralised and McCray pulled off the victory with a unanimous decision after three rounds.
That win advanced McCray into the semi-finals where he would have a rematch with Josh Bryant who had defeated him earlier in the competition. After winning by unanimous decision, McCray moved on to face Court McGee
Court McGee
Courtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC....
in the finals to determine the next Ultimate Fighter.
McCray set the new record for total fights competed in during a season, having fought 5 times in total. Dana White commented during the final episode that McCray had fought "literally every Tuesday" since he got in the house.
This advanced him to the TUF 11 finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale, also referred to as The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on June 19, 2010. Featured were the...
where he faced Team Liddell fighter, Court McGee
Court McGee
Courtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC....
in the main event.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
At the finale, McCray lost to McGee via second round submission by way of a rear-naked choke. McCray was out-wrestled in the first and second round eventually giving up his back in the second round. McCray signed a four-fight deal with the UFC.His first fight on the contract took place at UFC 122
UFC 122
UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S....
in the welterweight division. McCray faced UFC newcomer Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Carlos Eduardo Kuhrau is a Brazilian mixed martial artist.-Mixed martial arts career:Born an orphan in Cabedelo, Brazil he was taken in by Dárcio Lira from whom he learned Brazilian jiu-jitsu and earned his black belt. He claims to have won around 50 regional tournaments in Brazil and Germany...
, and lost by kneebar submission in the first round. He moved his camp from Team Gold Medal Grappling in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
, with the Renzo Gracie Combat Team.
McCray fought John Hathaway
John Hathaway
John Hathaway is an English mixed martial arts fighter who competes in the welterweight division. He made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut by defeating Tom Egan at UFC 93 and holds notable Octagon victories over Rick Story, Paul Taylor and Diego Sanchez...
on March 26, 2011, at UFC Fight Night 24. The fight was closely contested throughout. However, Hathaway walked away the winner via split decision.
Following the loss to Hathaway, McCray was released from the organization.
Post-UFC
Since leaving the UFC, McCray has compiled a record of 2-0 defeating Kevin Nowaczyk and Gemiyale Adkins via unanimous decision.Personal life
McCray became a father to a daughter named Octavia at age 15. According to his TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account, McCray is married.
Mixed martial arts record
| Win|align=center| 7-3
|
Gemiyale Adkins| Decision (unanimous)
| Cage Fight 9
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6-3
|
Kevin Nowaczyk| Decision (unanimous)
| HFC 9 Fall Brawl
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 5–3
|
John HathawayJohn Hathaway
John Hathaway is an English mixed martial arts fighter who competes in the welterweight division. He made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut by defeating Tom Egan at UFC 93 and holds notable Octagon victories over Rick Story, Paul Taylor and Diego Sanchez...
| Decision (split)
| UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis
UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis
UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 26, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 5–2
|
Carlos Eduardo RochaCarlos Eduardo Rocha
Carlos Eduardo Kuhrau is a Brazilian mixed martial artist.-Mixed martial arts career:Born an orphan in Cabedelo, Brazil he was taken in by Dárcio Lira from whom he learned Brazilian jiu-jitsu and earned his black belt. He claims to have won around 50 regional tournaments in Brazil and Germany...
| Submission (kneebar)
| UFC 122
UFC 122
UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S....
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:21
|Oberhausen, Germany
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 5–1
|
Court McGeeCourt McGee
Courtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC....
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:41
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
|
Marcus Ajian| Submission (shoulder lock)
| Ballroom Battleground 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:45
|Glen Burnie, Maryland
Glen Burnie, Maryland
Glen Burnie is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, and is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 67,639 at the 2010 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
|
Igor Almeida| TKO (punches)
| UWC 7: Redemption
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:39
|Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
|
Ronnie West| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UWC 6: Capital Punishment
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:39
|Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
|
Manny Okorie| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UWC 5: Man O' War
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:51
|Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
|
Joey Kirwan| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UWC 4: Confrontation
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:35
|Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|