If dissatisfaction with his bouts was not bad enough, then he was about to be aggravated further, reaching an all time low with a discouraging year to come. After losing to Bendi Casimir, drawing with Abdul Mohamed and fights in Sweden, the UK and the USA being cancelled, Andre was reaching the end of his tether and began considering alternate careers.
Learning of the tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 – UK Vs USA, he decided to enter as a last shot at making a name for himself as mixed martial artist. Hungry for success and ready to make the most out of this opportunity, Andre secured his place in The Ultimate Fighter house with a vicious knee, knocking out Gary Kelly in the first round. Taking the realisation of being a part of The Ultimate Fighter calmly in his stride, Winner continued the trend of first round victories over Santino Defranco and Cameron Dollar to procure his place in The Ultimate Fighter Finale where he would face friend and team mate Ross Pearson.
On the night of June 20th 2009 in the Pearl at the Palms, Las Vegas, it was ultimately Ross Pearson who walked away with the title of The Ultimate Fighter, by way of a decision after a gruelling three round contest. Though friends praised him for getting so far, no congratulations could spare Andre’s disappointment with himself. Suffering from food poisoning only three days prior to the climactic event, he felt that he did not have enough time to fully recuperate and if he had the opportunity to do so, would have been able to offer a truer account of himself.
Feeling that he let down all who generously gave their time, money, love and support, Andre is focused and hungry to give the fans of mixed martial arts the show they all deserve. The clinking of metal weights and the crashing of limbs slamming against crisp leather are sounds more than familiar to the fired up fighter, as he returns to the gym to prepare for the road that lies ahead. Burning with determination, Andre Winner is itching to get back into the cage to stamp his name on the lightweight division of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships).
