Air combat is more to do with tactics and pilot skill than raw aircraft manoeuvring. Both the Mig-17 and Mig-21 were superior "dog fighters" to the F-4/F-105 however while they achieved kills so did the USAF/USN. Actually my friend Skip Holme who flew Thuds and Phantoms in Vietnam also flew the Mig-21 at the then 'secret' place in Nevada. He told me that if they had realised just how potent the Mig-21 was a a fighter he would have been more scared.
The IDFAF did very well using the Mirage 111 vs. Migs and the Mirage is not known for 'dog fighting'...
So the F-35 will mature into a good aircraft hopefully flown by great operators skilled in tactics.
PS: Clare Chennault devised tactics to defeat much more manoeuvrable Zeros etc in 1942 with his P-40 Tomahawks...