Court McGee aims to put pressure, finish fellow 'TUF' winner Michael Chiesa at UFC Atlanta
Court McGee aims to put pressure, finish fellow 'TUF' winner Michael Chiesa at UFC Atlanta
ATLANTA – Court McGee is confident he can play spoiler at UFC on ESPN 69.
McGee (22-13 MMA, 11-12 UFC) is a big underdog heading into Saturday's prelim welterweight matchup (ESPN, ESPN+) against Michael Chiesa (18-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
In a battle of "Ultimate Fighter" winners, McGee thinks facing a fellow submission specialist makes for a fun stylistic affair.
"I'm excited for the matchup," McGee told MMA Junkie and other reporters during Wednesday's media day. "I think it's a great matchup with Chiesa being an 'Ultimate Fighter' winner, I think it's cool being a heavy grappler. I think it makes for a really good matchup."
McGee is coming off a first-round neck crank of Tim Means at UFC 307. All 12 of Chiesa's finishes have come by submission, but McGee has never been submitted.
"Like every other fight, I come out and find a way to win," McGee said. "So, I'm going to put the pressure on him right off the bat, come out fast. It should be a great fight, and where he's heavy grappling – that's the other thing. I've grappled for years and years, and I'm going to be looking for a finish. I think I can do it, so we'll see."
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