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Welterweights

NR | Court McGee (20-10, 9-9 UFC) vs. NR | Ramiz Brahimaj (9-3, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: McGee (-115), Brahimaj (-105)

McGee’s 2021 win over Claudio Silva was a nice moment, if only because it proved that “The Crusher” still has a decent amount left in the tank. McGee has been a fan favorite since he won “The Ultimate Fighter” all the way back in 2010, overcoming addiction to find a successful fighting career while working to help others. He has been a solid fighter in the decade-plus since but never quite made a march towards title contention; his meat-and-potatoes style and impressive durability have made him a perennial tough out, but he has never been the level of dynamic athlete that can overwhelm his opponent to put a clear stamp on a fight. Having never had to rely on his athleticism, McGee has had a better aging curve than most, but a recent three-fight losing skid—and a longer run of five losses in six fights—led to some concern that the sport in general had passed by his fundamental-heavy style. However, McGee managed to put together a strong outing against Silva, proving that it still takes some nuance to outwork him. Silva’s manic and aggressive wrestling-heavy game did not get the Brazilian much of anywhere, and McGee outlasted him over three rounds without much issue. McGee looks to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2013 against Brahimaj, an interesting prospect coming off of his first UFC win. During most of his regional career, Brahimaj clearly played to his strengths, immediately pursuing takedowns to get to the grappling that serves as the core of his game. That gave way to a worrying UFC debut late in 2020. Brahimaj looked tentative against Max Griffin, never even implementing his wrestling before nearly getting his ear torn off by a Griffin elbow. An August win over Sasha Palatnikov was much more of a return to form, with Brahimaj getting the fight to the mat and earning a submission in short order. Still, that is not enough to entirely dismiss his performance against Griffin, particularly against a stout veteran with as much ability to survive as McGee. While Brahimaj does not seem likely to wear himself out in the manner that Silva did, there just does not appear to be enough depth or aggression to his style in a manner that McGee has not seen and conquered before. The pick is McGee via steady decision.

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