Sean McCorkle (born July 17, 1976) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Super Heavyweight division. A professional from 2005 until 2014, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, KSW, and King of the Cage.

Background

McCorkle is from Indianapolis, Indiana. He excelled at basketball, playing in high school and then in junior college. In 2005, McCorkle began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and later met local UFC veterans Chris Lytle and Jake O'Brien before transitioning into mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

McCorkle fought out of C-4 MMA. He fought at Super Heavyweight for most of his career, weighing as much as 320 lbs. McCorkle has several nicknames, but "Big Sexy" is his best known moniker. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani coined his other main nickname "The Curtain Jerker" during a pre-fight interview. He was also known as "The Hater" early on in his career. After winning his first four fights, McCorkle faced Jeremy Norton on New Year's Eve 2006. During the bout, McCorkle dislocated his shoulder and broke his arm, but was able to continue and took a split decision victory. Due to the injury, he was out of action for fourteen months of physical therapy before he could return to MMA.

Legends of Fighting

McCorkle fought multiple times for an Indianapolis promotion called Legends of Fighting and remained undefeated with them, holding a 9-0 record and the promotion's Super Heavyweight Championship belt.

King of the Cage

On October 7, 2006 McCorkle fought Robert Hogan at King Of The Cage: Meltdown, winning via TKO (punches) in the opening round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

McCorkle signed a contract with the UFC in July 2010. After signing, his debut opponent was announced as the K-1 and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Mark Hunt at UFC 119 in McCorkle's hometown of Indianapolis. In order to make weight for the fight, McCorkle had to cut down to 265 lbs - a weight he had not hit since the age of 18. When the fight began, Hunt landed several punches and was able to land on top when McCorkle went for a takedown. McCorkle won the fight in just 67 seconds however, after locking in a straight armbar from his back. It was later revealed that McCorkle's armlock had caused significant damage to Hunt. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, McCorkle lauded how hard Hunt’s punches were. Due to his colorful persona and the sudden publicity he received for his win over Hunt, McCorkle's next fight was the Co-Main Event of UFC 124. He fought 6'11" Dutch fighter Stefan Struve in Montreal, Quebec. McCorkle initiated an extreme trash talk battle in the media leading up to the bout, which was a new and unpleasant experience for the usually reserved Struve. After McCorkle unleashed a continual barrage of taunts via his Twitter account, Struve issued a contest in which fans would Photoshop insulting pictures of McCorkle. The winner of the contest was promised the bloodstained fight gloves Struve was to use against McCorkle. The eventual winner of the contest submitted a picture of McCorkle as Justin Bieber, which led McCorkle to show up at the weigh-ins wearing a Bieber-style wig for photographers. When making his ring entrance, Struve’s skin had noticeably broken out in hives. He later said this was from the stress and pressure he felt to win. McCorkle came out strong in the opening minutes of the bout, forcefully slamming Struve onto the ground and securing a kimura on him that nearly led to a tap out. After a struggle that sapped McCorkle of his energy, Struve was able to reverse the hold and pound him out, winning the fight by TKO. McCorkle next fought Christian Morecraft on March 26, 2011 at UFC Fight Night 24. After a closely contested first round, Morecraft came out and dominated the first four minutes of the second round. The referee briefly stopped the fight for two minutes after Morecraft delivered an illegal low blow to McCorkle's groin. When the action resumed, McCorkle dove in for a takedown but Morecraft was able to leverage this attempt into a standing guillotine choke that left McCorkle unconscious. In the spring of 2011, the UFC released McCorkle from his contract. On October 17, 2011, ESPN announced that Sean McCorkle would be a featured heavyweight in the video game UFC Undisputed 3. The game was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on February 14, 2012. The game went on to sell over one million copies.

Bellator Fighting Championships

After his release from the UFC, McCorkle won his next six fights with various promotions. He then signed to Bellator Fighting Championships, and on March 9, 2012 at Bellator 60 he made his debut in a catchweight fight against Richard White, winning via first round submission.

Rivalry with "The World's Strongest Man"

Immediately after his win at Bellator 60, McCorkle lost three straight fights for the first time in his career. He then signed with Polish promotion KSW to face the five time World's Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski. With McCorkle seeming to be at a low point in his career, many fight observers did not expect much from him in the bout. The two met at KSW 23 on June 8, 2013. When the fight began, Pudzianowski came out swinging and took it straight to McCorkle. The two struggled fiercely, with Pudzianowski controlling the tempo of the match until he stepped into a hard jab from McCorkle which subsequently dropped Pudzianowski. McCorkle was able to quickly capitalize and locked in a kimura, submitting Pudzianowski. The unexpected outcome of the fight made news immediately, and the notoriety of the bout led both men to agree to a rematch. McCorkle and Pudzianowski met again at KSW 24 on September 28, 2013. According to sports writer Chuck Mindenhall, "The two met like titanic slabs in the middle of the ring." Pudzianowski was able to take the fight to the ground, where he remained on top as the two grappled for the remainder of the first round. The scene repeated itself in the second round, but midway through McCorkle went for a kimura and was able to reverse Pudzianowski and end up on top. The fight was only scheduled for two rounds, and Pudzianowski took the decision victory. After the fight, McCorkle asked KSW for a third match with Pudzianowski, which was never granted.

Professional Wrestling

Sean McCorkle also made appearances for Freedom Pro Wrestling, a promotion based in Wisconsin. On April 20, 2012, McCorkle won his debut match against C.J. O'Doyle, the promotion's current heavyweight champion. McCorkle was called "a smack-talking jobber."

Retirement

On September 29, 2014, Sean McCorkle officially announced his retirement at the age of 38 during a light-hearted interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. He also admitted he had been suffering from "miserable" back injuries for some time. McCorkle said he is currently focused on managing other fighters.

Personal life

McCorkle has two grown children that lived with their mother. At the peak of his fame, he often joked about his tense relationship with his ex-wife. He became engaged again in January 2022. In the late 1990’s, McCorkle attended college for a year and a half on basketball scholarships, but dropped out to start his own business. In the summer of 2022, McCorkle announced his new occupation as a specialty breeder of show-quality XL American Bullies. In October of 2023, he began a podcast called “The McCorkle Minute.”

Mixed martial arts record