# Marcus McGhee
**Marcus McGhee** (born 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) (UFC), where he fights under the nickname "The Maniac". He holds a professional record of 12 wins and 2 losses, with 9 of his wins by knockout or technical knockout and 1 by submission.[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1) • [2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, Detroit, Michigan, United States[2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153) • [3](https://www.ufc.com/news/get-know-marcus-mcghee-ufc-abu-dhabi) |
| Division / gym | Bantamweight; trains at The MMA Lab in Phoenix, Arizona[2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153) • [3](https://www.ufc.com/news/get-know-marcus-mcghee-ufc-abu-dhabi) |
| Professional record | 12-2-0; 9 wins by KO/TKO, 1 by submission (rear-naked choke), 2 by decision[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1) • [2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153) |
| Pro and UFC debut | Turned professional February 15, 2020; first UFC fight April 29, 2023[4](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Marcus%20McGhee/108627/) |
| UFC record | 6-1 across 7 UFC fights; only loss a unanimous decision to Petr Yan on July 26, 2025[5](https://themmapredictor.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee) • [1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1) |
| Physical | 5 ft 8 in (172.72 cm), 69 in reach, orthodox stance[2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153) • [6](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee/) |
| Post-fight bonuses | Three UFC Performance of the Night bonuses of $50,000 each, earned within roughly a year of his debut[7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner) |
## Early career
McGhee began competing as an amateur in 2012 and is reported to have an amateur record of 3-2.[3](https://www.ufc.com/news/get-know-marcus-mcghee-ufc-abu-dhabi) He turned professional on February 15, 2020, at about age 29, and compiled four professional wins before joining Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), a prominent United States-based regional promotion that serves as a feeder league to the UFC.[4](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Marcus%20McGhee/108627/) • [7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner)
Outside the cage he worked in the cannabis industry as an operational manager for Bloom Dispensary, at one point working 14 consecutive 10-hour days while also managing a weight cut. He lost his job shortly before his LFA debut, and by the time the UFC called he was about $70,000 in debt.[7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner)
His LFA debut against Rafael do Nascimento at LFA 135 in July 2022 ended in a first-round submission loss by rear-naked choke; he rebounded with two wins, including a third-round TKO of Luciano Ramos at LFA 149 in January 2023.[2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153) • [7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner)
## UFC career
**Debut on short notice.** McGhee entered the UFC on three days' notice, facing Journey Newson at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon on April 29, 2023. He won by rear-naked choke at 2:03 of the second round and received a $50,000 [Performance](https://www.edgepedia.org/performance) of the Night bonus.[7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner) • [8](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/history/_/id/4895760/marcus-mcghee) He used his first purse to begin paying down his debt, sending about $18,000 straight to creditors from a purse of roughly $24,000.[7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner)
**Finishing streak.** Four months later he knocked out JP Buys with a punch at 2:19 of the first round at UFC on ESPN 51, earning another $50,000 bonus, and in January 2024 he stopped Gaston Bolanos by strikes at 3:29, for a third bonus. In under a year he had banked $150,000 in bonuses and cleared his financial burdens.[7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner) • [2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153) Sherdog records the Bolanos finish as a spinning wheel kick and punches in round 3, while UFC.com and FightingData place it in round 2 at the same 3:29 timestamp.[2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153) • [3](https://www.ufc.com/news/get-know-marcus-mcghee-ufc-abu-dhabi) • [6](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee/)
**Ranked opposition.** At UFC 309 on November 16, 2024, McGhee won a three-round unanimous decision over [Jonathan Martinez](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-martinez), his first UFC win on the scorecards.[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1) • [6](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee/) That run earned him a co-headlining spot against former bantamweight champion [Petr Yan](https://www.edgepedia.org/petr-yan) at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26, 2025, when McGhee was ranked No. 13. Yan won a three-round unanimous decision, outstriking McGhee 81 significant strikes to 64 and controlling him for 3:11 in the third round.[7](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner) • [6](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee/)
**Rebound.** McGhee returned with a three-round unanimous decision over John Yannis at UFC Fight Night 278 on June 6, 2026, then stopped Anthony Romero by punches at 4:58 of the first round at UFC 332 on October 3, 2026, leaving him 7-1 in his last eight fights with the Yan bout as the only loss.[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1) • [2](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153)
## Fighting style and statistics
McGhee's listed style combines [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/brazilian-jiu-jitsu) and striking, and his UFC record shows a finish-heavy, striking-led approach: 9 of his 12 professional wins came by KO or TKO, including five first-round finishes, four second-round finishes, and one third-round finish.[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1) • [3](https://www.ufc.com/news/get-know-marcus-mcghee-ufc-abu-dhabi)
His UFC statistics emphasize volume and defensive wrestling. He lands 5.54 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.57, attempts only 0.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, and has stuffed 9 of the 10 takedowns attempted against him, a 90 percent takedown defense rate.[1](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1) Across his UFC fights he has spent roughly 87 percent of his fight time at distance, with a positive striking differential of about +2.17 significant strikes per minute.[6](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee/)
## References
1. [Marcus McGhee athlete record, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-mcghee?page=1)
2. [Marcus "The Maniac" McGhee, Sherdog.com](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Marcus-McGhee-122153)
3. [Get To Know Marcus McGhee, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/get-know-marcus-mcghee-ufc-abu-dhabi)
4. [Marcus McGhee fighter profile, FightMatrix.com](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Marcus%20McGhee/108627/)
5. [Marcus McGhee UFC Record, The MMA Predictor](https://themmapredictor.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee)
6. [Marcus McGhee UFC Stats & Fight History, FightingData](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/marcus-mcghee/)
7. [Debt paid, destiny forged: Marcus McGhee's rise, MMA Mania](https://www.mmamania.com/2025/7/23/24471894/debt-paid-destiny-forged-marcus-mcghees-relentless-faith-driven-rise-to-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-headliner)
8. [Marcus McGhee MMA Fight History, ESPN](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/history/_/id/4895760/marcus-mcghee)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Featherweight and bantamweight fighters › Bantamweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license