Kurt Holobaugh Wins The Ultimate Fighter 31 Lightweight Tournament

BOSTON, MA –Kurt Holobaugh is The Ultimate Fighter.

Holobaugh now begins his third stint in the UFC, punching his ticket back to the organization with a phenomenal submission victory in the TUF 31 lightweight finals against Austin Hubbard at UFC 292.

With a victory against Austin Hubbard at #UFC292, Kurt Holobaugh crowns himself The Ultimate Fighter 31 lightweight champion pic.twitter.com/sbLuGzhUAB
— Justin Barrasso (@JustinBarrasso) August 20, 2023

“This means the world,” says Holobaugh, who fought for Michael Chandler’s team on TUF 31. “I made my debut back in the UFC in 2013, and I’ve had a lot of fights between now and then. At 36 years old, I’m back.”

Holobaugh (20-7-1) is known for his striking, but he also showcased his skill as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. After a competitive opening found, Holobaugh took Hubbard’s back following a flush right hand. With three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the round, Hubbard (15-7) found himself in imminent danger.

After Holobaugh attempted an arm bar, he got the finish by switching to a triangle choke while rolling over to the top. It was a sensational sequence, and put a fitting punctuation mark on TUF 31.

“I’ve been a black belt in jiu-jitsu for almost five years now,” says Holobaugh. “I can do more than strike. I’m dangerous there, and it means a lot to get a submission like that against someone as tough as Austin. He’s a hell of a fighter.”

That @KurtHolobaugh transition is everything 👏 #TUF31 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/KtOjrIRLVT
— UFC (@ufc) August 20, 2023

After the victory, Holobaugh called out Paddy Pimblett. That was smart, as Pimblett has proven to be a flawed fighter and a victory against him would provide Holobaugh with extra notoriety as he prepares to piece together a successful run in the UFC.

“I know a lot of people call him out, but I want Paddy The Baddy,” says Holobaugh. “If he wants to fight a real Ultimate Fighter winner, I’ll be waiting.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.