UFC 157 ‘Rousey vs. Carmouche’ Preview

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Welterweights

Court McGee (14-3, 3-2 UFC) vs. Josh Neer (33-12-1, 6-8 UFC)

The Matchup: Not all that long ago, McGee was on an eight-fight winning streak and appeared to be on the verge of making a serious run in the UFC’s 185-pound division. Back-to-back losses, including a contentious decision defeat to Nick Ring in July, have slowed the momentum of “The Ultimate Fighter 11” winner, but McGee remains a difficult out for anyone.

Neer also carries a two-fight skid into the contest, but the circumstances behind those losses -- two first-round defeats -- are a point of concern. Though he is not yet 30, Neer has accumulated plenty of mileage in a 46-fight professional career, and it is possible that the wear-and-tear of all those battles is beginning to show.

At any rate, there is a least a hint of desperation in this bout, which replaces the scrapped Chad Mendes-Manny Gamburyan matchup on the main card, and that could make for compelling action. Also promising is the aggressive style of both fighters.

McGee is known as something of a grinder, but he also prefers to set the pace in his fights. He was the aggressor throughout his encounter with Ring but was not awarded the decision despite out-landing his foe by 40 significant strikes. While “The Crusher” generally uses a solid right hand to set up openings for clinches and takedowns, he demonstrated a more diverse element to his striking in round three of his loss to Constantinos Philippou, attacking with head kicks, jumping knees, spinning elbows and backfists in one furious final salvo.

Neer fights tend to be short-lived affairs, as he has not gone the distance in his last 11 outings. He will struggle to bully McGee into the clinch, however, and his sometimes spotty takedown defense could prove to be his undoing in a tussle that figures to have plenty of close-quarters action.

The Pick: McGee’s durability helps him survive Neer’s initial onslaught, and he gradually takes control of the fight through superior conditioning and wrestling to win via decision or late stoppage.

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