Can Petr Yan Turn Back the Challenge of the Dangerous ‘Maniac’ McGee?
Petr Yan once upon a time was on the path to be the greatest Bantamweight Champion of all time. The way he was running through legends like Jose Aldo, Uriah Faber, etc, made him a force to be reckoned with. After an illegal knee that cost him his title, he railed off a bunch of losses in a row that made him look like his time at the top was all but over. However, after two impressive victories over Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo, he looked primed to once again find himself in a position to try and get his belt back. Now, instead of fighting in a title eliminator fight or waiting for a title shot, he’s going to step into the octagon for the first time in 2025, fighting way up in the rankings against the 10th-ranked Bantamweight, Marcus McGee. Can Petr Yan turn back the unlikely challenger, or will McGee solidify himself as a real threat in the Bantamweight Division?
Petr Yan’s striking ability is a thing of beauty, and the way he can keep his guard high and take little damage in his fights makes him so hard to deal with. His quickness, sharpness, and power give him a fighting chance against anyone he’s matched up with. When he was champion, he was thought to have great takedown defense, but after his fights with Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvilli, that seems to be the biggest weakness in his game. The takedown defense looked much better in his last two fights, but that’s always something to watch out for. In this matchup, he has so much more experience than McGee, and the level of competition they've both faced isn’t comparable. I think this is a major step up in completion for McGee, and I think Yan will be able to pick him apart on the feet and unload multiple combinations when McGee gets aggressive and tries to close the distance. If Yan can keep this fight on the feet, he is the more polished and crisp striker and will be able to win the majority of the exchanges and could potentially make a statement and look for a finish as the damage piles up.
Marcus McGee came into the UFC on a war path, finishing almost every opponent he stepped into the octagon with. He was rewarded the chance to get himself in the rankings against Jonathan Martinez at UFC 309 and was able to shut him down completely and win the fight by unanimous decision. He has such power in his hands that one shot could stop anyone in their tracks and make them hesitate to advance forward. He’s a Brazilian black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and his ground game is as high-level as you can get. If he wants to upset the former champion, he’s going to need to close the distance and prevent himself from being pieced up in the process, and use those exchanges to shoot takedowns and try to get this fight to the ground where he holds a distinct advantage. He could look for a potential submission and land some ground and pound to weaken Yan, but I think, nonetheless, he will be able to control him on the ground and not allow him to get back up.
This is a fascinating matchup that is highly surprising to be happening. With Merab Dvalishvilli dominating Sean O’Malley at UFC 315 and retaining his Bantamweight Championship, he will be looking for a new challenger. Both of these fighters could make a statement in this fight. Whichever way this fight plays out, you don’t want to miss all the action on July 26th for UFC Fight Night: Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder.
