Nick Catone

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook deleted Catone's account, as part of its efforts to reduce the amount of misinformation about medical topics on the network. Catone threatened to sue Facebook for an amount exceeding $5 billion for depriving him of a mean to promote his business and the loss of personal pictures.

After retiring from competition, Catone opened a gym in Ocean County, New Jersey, in 2018.

Catone was expected to face Vitor Miranda on April 18, 2015 at UFC on Fox 15. However, Catone abruptly announced his retirement on March 25, citing a litany of injuries and a history of chronic back pain.

Catone faced Tom Watson in a middleweight bout on February 1, 2014 at UFC 169. He won the fight via split decision.

Catone was expected to face James Head on April 27, 2013 at UFC 159. However, at the weigh ins Catone missed weight and the bout was subsequently pulled from the card the day of the show after Catone went to the hospital for dehydration.

Catone faced Chris Camozzi on June 22, 2012 at UFC on FX 4. Catone was up the first two rounds on the scorecards until a knee by Camozzi caused a large cut on the forehead of Catone, resulting in a doctor stoppage in the third round.

Catone made his welterweight debut against TJ Waldburger on December 15, 2012 at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson Finale. He lost the fight via technical submission in the second round after he passed out in Waldburger's triangle choke.

Catone was expected to face Dan Miller on March 19, 2011 at UFC 128 in a catchweight bout of 195 lbs. However, Miller was pulled from the bout to fill in for Yoshihiro Akiyama against Nate Marquardt and was replaced by UFC newcomer Costas Philippou. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Catone was expected to face Aaron Simpson on October 8, 2011 at UFC 136. However, Catone was forced out of the bout after tearing an Achilles tendon, and was replaced by Eric Schafer.

Catone was scheduled to face John Salter on May 8, 2010 at UFC 113, but Catone was forced from the card with a back injury. He was replaced by Jason Macdonald.

After suffering two injuries, Catone was expected to drop down to the welterweight division. Instead, he was expected face Tomasz Drwal on September 15, 2010 at UFC Fight Night 22. However, Catone withdrew from the fight against Drwal due to injury.

Catone's first UFC fight was scheduled to be against TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah at UFC 91. However, due to a leg infection, Sadollah withdrew from the match. A replacement for Sadollah could not be found so the match was scrapped from the card. The match against Sadollah was rescheduled for February 7, 2009 at UFC Fight Night 17. On January 23, Sadollah was, again, forced to withdraw from the fight due, this time to a fractured clavicle.

After college, Catone realized that he did not want to give up the sport of wrestling. So he found a mixed martial arts training facility in 2005 and started working very hard on his boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to become a successful professional mixed martial artist.

Catone began wrestling in middle school. Catone stayed with the sport all through his middle and high school years. While at Brick Memorial High School in Brick Township, New Jersey, Catone won numerous awards and titles in wrestling. He was a New Jersey State place winner, Three-time Division I national qualifier, 2x Division I conference champion and 100 Division I career wins. He was rewarded with a scholarship to wrestle for Rutgers University but did not like the lifestyle of a large college. After spending a year at Rutgers, Catone transferred to Rider University where he won Male Athlete of the Year in 2004. Catone graduated from Rider with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Nicholas "Nick" Catone (born September 1, 1981) is a retired American mixed martial artist. Catone competed most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their Middleweight division.