Leah McCourt: Sara McMann’s wrestling a concern, but handleable at Bellator 300

SAN DIEGO – The odds are Sara McMann will try to take the fight to the ground at Bellator 300 and her opponent Leah McCourt knows it.

In a shallow division, McCourt (7-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) has the opportunity to make her case to be next for a title shot should she defeat the former UFC title challenger and Olympian McMann (14-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA).

“It’s an exciting style matchup,” McCourt told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Thursday at the host hotel. “Obviously, she’s a high-level wrestler and I have a black belt in judo. It’s going to be probably into the clinch quite quickly, to see. It’s going to be a lot of scrambles. I’m used to that type of tough, grindy fight. I had it with Cat (Zingano), so it’s good to have that experience. She’s a good wrestler, as well, and I feel like I dealt with that well in my last fight, so, yeah.”

McCourt, 31, most recently competed in March when she lost a unanimous decision to Cat Zingano at Bellator 293. Despite the defeat, McCourt said she mentally and emotionally strengthened as a result of the fight.

“We prepare correctly in camp,” McCourt said. “We train. We look a lot at my opponent and my last fight and what I need to do to improve and what areas of my game I need to always work on. It’s not really doing anything differently. We’re doing the same thing and just getting better and improving. … I don’t feel like I’ve ever really shown my true potential yet. I think it just comes down to believing in myself. I got a lot of belief from that last fight, and confidence from it. I hope to show that on Saturday.”

Should she win Saturday, McCourt has no doubt it’ll align her nicely somewhere in the vicinity of a title shot.

“Yes,” she said when asked if a title shot was on the line.

The world will find out if the prediction mirrors reality Saturday at Pechanga Arena.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 300.