Welterweight bout: Court McGee (+120) vs Robert Whittaker (-140) Fight Breakdown: UFC Fight Night 27 brings a battle between two TUF winners when season 11 winner Court “The Crusher” McGee takes on TUF: Australia vs UK winner Robert Whittaker. McGee is currently the underdog at +120 (bet $100 to win $120), while Whittaker is the favorite at -140 (bet $140 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Court McGee (15-3 MMA, (4-2 UFC) went on a 3-2 run as a middleweight before dropping to the welterweight division where he debuted against Josh Neer in a very dominant performance, landing the most strikes in UFC welterweight history. McGee is a very focused and determined fighter who is full of heart and has no quit in him. He is the type of fighter who will keep moving forward and looking for a knockout when he is badly hurt. Although flat footed, McGee is a very good boxer, as his boxing improves from fight to fight, as was evidently clear in his performance against Neer. Court McGee is a very durable fighter, as he possesses both a great chin and incredible cardio; his conditioning certainly is not a question at 170 pounds because he ran through Josh Neer for three rounds and could have done so for three more. McGee is a good wrestler, albeit with average takedowns, who prefers to box with his opponents, as he is very confident in his hands and ability to take shots in order to dish ’em out. As mentioned, I think he has some boxing skills, but I don’t think he should be looking to box with Robert Whittaker. His game plan should be to touch him a few times and then work in the takedowns and finish the rounds beating Whittaker up from inside his guard. Court McGee will have the reach and size advantage going into this bout, but he will certainly be at a speed disadvantage. Robert Whittaker (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is making his third UFC appearance; second since winning the TUF: Australia vs UK crown. Whittaker is an absolute beast of a striker and he is very fun to watch. He fights with a bit of a flashy unorthodox Karate style that keeps opponents guessing. The down-side of said style is that he keeps his hands down, leaving him open to a possible knockout. He isn’t too worried about that because his striking defense is excellent and he has a very good chin, but as proven with the Anderson Silva knockout via Chris Weidman: it’s always dangerous. Robert Whittaker has good takedown defense, good submission defense, and can generally manage his own on the ground, although he does not offer much of a submission threat. Whittaker’s keys to victory in this bout will be to use his speed and unorthodox striking to keep tagging McGee and moving, thus scoring points en route to a Decision win. He is a very talented striker, but I don’t think he will knock-out Court McGee. If you’re betting Robert Whittaker in this fight, I suggest you forget the -140 and look at the Decision +210 prop, as it is the line that holds the most value. Fight Prediction: I think McGee’s chin, grit, reach and grappling advantage will prove to be the difference in this fight. He will keep tagging Whittaker, taking him down, and beating him up. I have a feeling he might also want to keep it on the feet and look for a knock-out, because he loves to box and I’m sure he’s noticed how Whittaker keeps his hands down. If he tries to follow that game plan and doesn’t put Whittaker away, I think he will abandon it and try to use his ground and pound. I won’t be surprised if it ends inside the distance, but I am expecting McGee to do enough to earn a Decision here. Gabe’s Pick: Court McGee by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Court McGee +120 for a moderate value play, as I feel he should be a -170 favorite going into this bout. Also, I recommend a small-to-moderate play on Over 2.5 rounds -185.
