Middleweights Court McGee and Dongi Yang will face off in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 25: Shields vs. Ellenberger. All signs point to this bout being a showcase for McGee, a winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter reality show tournament.
McGee (13-1, 2-0 UFC) is a grinder who uses his conditioning and ability to control position to wear down opponents and make them fight his fight. He's skilled and patient and capable of getting wins by submission or TKO.
Yang (10-1, 1-1 UFC) is a banger who's scored 9/10 of his wins by TKO or knock out. He's not the most polished striker, but his wild power makes him a threat to win the fight at any time.
Look for McGee to play it safe early on, avoiding Yang's power and scoring with jabs and leg kicks while he looks for an opportunity to tie up and force the clinch. Yang's not easy to take down but McGee will be well advised to put him on his back at the earliest opportunity.
Yang is a very live threat to KO McGee, but I'm expecting a decision win for the American. Yang's already lost a close split decision to Chris Camozzi in a fight I thought he won, so don't look for the judges to do him any favors tonight.
| Aspect | McGee | Points | Yang | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range Fighting | ||||
| Boxing | Solid | 4 | Bomber | Yang |
| Kickboxing | Pro | 1 | Good | McGee |
| Wrestling | Very Good | 1 | Ok | McGee |
| Clinch Fighting | ||||
| Dirty Boxing | Very Good | 1 | Good | McGee |
| Thai Clinch | Good | 1 | Good | Tie |
| Throws/Trips | Very Good | 1 | Ok | McGee |
| Ground Fighting | ||||
| Positional Control | Strong | 1 | Good | McGee |
| Scrambling | Sticks Like Glue | 1 | Not Bad | McGee |
| Escapes | Decent | 1 | Not Houdini | Tie |
| Submissions | Dangerous | 1 | Passable | McGee |
| Intangibles | TUF Champ | 1 | Not a Judge Pleaser | McGee |
| Overall | Ultimate Fighter | 8/4 | Big Future | McGee |