After leaving Uppingham in 1996, Wilks went to Bournemouth University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Land Management.

[3] He defeated the highly regarded Che Mills by submission in an elimination match earning him a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada to compete on the show.

In the rematch, Wilks defeated Lester by TKO via knees in the third round, earning a spot in the live finale.

Wilks finished the fight with Johnson via a rear naked choke submission in the closing seconds of the first round.

Prior to UFC 115, Wilks revealed that Brown had broken his orbital bone with an elbow strike after just 30 seconds of the first round.

[12] After suffering extensive injuries which included a fractured vertebra and after doctors told him he faced "significantly high risk of paralysis" if he continued to fight, Wilks announced his retirement from active MMA competition on 14 May 2012.

[citation needed] Wilks had a leading role in the documentary film The Game Changers (2018), advocating a primarily plant-based diet in high-performance sport and produced by James Cameron.