McGee was expected to battle Jesse Bongfeldt at UFC 131 this past June. Unfortunately, he was forced out of the bout with a knee injury, leading to the gap in his performance history.
Yang made his debut back at UFC 121, the same card the McGee defeated Jensen on, against The Ultimate Fighter season 11 contestant Chris Camozzi. He was narrowly edged by Camozzi on the judges' scorecards, losing by split decision. In a follow-up performance five months later at UFC on Versus 3, Yang stopped veteran grappler Rob Kimmons with strikes in the second round.
The power that Yang put on display in that fight will be his means to ending McGee's seven-fight win streak on Saturday night. Kimmons is well-known for his resiliency to more powerful strikers, yet Yang was able to tag him consistently in the second round to finish him. McGee will need to take less risks in the stand-up department if he wants to avoid becoming another win on Yang's record.
Despite Yang's advantage in the power department, McGee should enjoy an advantage in every other area of this fight. He's the more technically sound striker on the feet. He has the ability to land from range and circle away from counters. He's an improving ground fighter, and his home at Victory MMA has helped him grow. McGee should win on Saturday night.
It isn't that easy however. Yang is a bit of a wildcard in this fight. He's an unpredictable Southpaw striker. His defense is wide open for McGee to bombard, but one punch could end McGee's run. Conventional wisdom would suggest otherwise. McGee has yet to succumb to a knockout from an opponent, and Yang isn't a skilled enough striker to land at will against a much more defensively sound fighter like McGee. McGee picks apart Yang from range early, possibly taking Yang to the floor and controlling him for most of the rounds. McGee via decision.
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Poll Court McGee vs. Dongi Yang
- Court McGee
- Dongi Yang