TUF 31 finalist Cody Gibson happy to get UFC contract despite losing to Brad Katona: "50k and a contract isn't the worst consolation prize"

Cody Gibson was defeated via unanimous decision by Brad Katona at UFC 292 in The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler bantamweight tournament final. The bout was awarded Fight of the Night, and UFC President Dana White revealed that both fighters will receive UFC contracts.

In the post-fight press conference, the promotional frontman was asked if 'The Renegade' will be with the promotion going forward, despite the loss. He responded:

"Yeah, everybody was blowing me up saying give them both a contract. Yeah, he'll be sticking around."

Gibson shared footage of White's comments to Twitter, captioning the post:

"Well I’ll be damned. I guess if you’re going to lose, 50k and a contract isn’t the worst consolation prize a guy could ask for. Can’t wait to do it again."

Check out the comments from Dana White and Cody Gibson below:

Gibson picked up two first-round finishes in two bouts during TUF 31. He defeated Mando Gutierrez via a flying knee and punches TKO in his first bout. 'The Renegade' returned with an arm triangle submission victory against Rico DiSciullo. While his opponent, Brad Katona, made history in the bantamweight final by becoming the first fighter to win TUF twice, both fighters were winners as Gibson received $50,000 and a UFC contract.

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How has Cody Gibson performed in his mixed martial arts career?

Cody Gibson holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 19 wins and nine losses. He has seven knockout victories, four submission victories, and eight decision victories. While he has never been knocked out, Gibson has been submitted four times and lost via decision five times.

'The Renegade' spent a year in the UFC, debuting in February 2014 and having his last bout in the promotion exactly one year later. He had just one win, needing just 38 seconds to defeat Johnny Bedford via TKO. Gibson had three losses, two of which came by decision and one of which came via submission. He faced future bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 170, which marked the promotional debuts of both fighters.

Gibson has fought in several promotions since being released from the UFC in 2015. He became the Tachi Palace Fights bantamweight champion in 2016, defending the title one time. However, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to win the promotion's featherweight title. In his last bout prior to TUF 31, in 2022, Gibson claimed the inaugural Up Next Fighting bantamweight championship.