Court McGee’s maiden voyage as a welterweight ended in victory.
The longtime middleweight dropped down after two losses, but began his reinvention with a unanimous decision win over Josh Neer at UFC 157. All three judges scored it 30-27.
Despite cutting to the new weight class, McGee showed the same conditioning that was his trademark at 185 pounds. McGee landed 178 strikes en route to the win, over 100 more than his opponent.
More Coverage: UFC 157 Results | UFC news
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McGee nearly finished things in the first, landing a liver kick that caused the normally stone-faced Neer to grimace in pain. Moments later he landed a punch to the ribs that dropped Neer. McGee went for the finish, looking for strikes from the top, but time ran out on him to end the round before he could finish.
The always-gritty Neer rebounded in the second with his best round, using his jab to keep McGee at distance.
But McGee’s relentlessness paid off in the final round, as he scored two takedowns and made the decision easy on the judges.
McGee’s win snapped his losing streak and made him 14-3.
Neer is likely in danger of being cut from the promotion after suffering his third straight loss. He’s now 33-13-1.