Tag: Damir Ismagulov

Video: Is Grant Dawson the next big thing at lightweight?

At UFC on ESPN 47, Grant Dawson turned heads with the consensus biggest win of his professional career.

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] is officially a top-10-ranked fighter, per the official UFC rankings, after a breakthrough performance Saturday in Las Vegas.

In the UFC on ESPN 47 co-main event, Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) dominated technical specialist [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) en route to a unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) victory.

While it wasn’t close to Fight of the Night honors, the lopsided successfulness of the outing turned many heads in the MMA community.

But just how big of a feather is the victory in Dawson’s cap? Where’s he headed and what’s his ceiling? MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Danny Segura joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to discuss Dawson’s big win.

Check out the video above, and the latest complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

UFC on ESPN 48 post-event facts: Grant Dawson’s numbers show title trajectory

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 48, where Grant Dawson joined an exclusive club by putting together a nine-fight unbeaten streak in the octagon.

The UFC’s loaded July schedule got off to a hot start on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 48, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and featured six stoppages out of 12 fights.

One of those finishes came in the main event, when [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) held serve as a top middleweight when he turned back [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag] (25-5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO before calling for a title shot.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check out MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 48.

UFC on ESPN 47 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean Strickland, Kevin Lee get most money

UFC on ESPN 47 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 47 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $144,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 47 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 47 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ismael Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,000
def.[autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Yana Santos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Guram Kutateladze[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Blagoy Ivanov[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $47,000 while title challengers get $47,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-47 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,109,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $18,698,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

UFC on ESPN 47 results: Grant Dawson dominates Damir Ismagulov en route to victory

It was one-way traffic for Grant Dawson at UFC on ESPN 47 as he dominated Damir Ismagulov en route to a unanimous decision nod.

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] utilized a strong ground game Saturday en route to arguably the biggest win of his professional career.

In the UFC on ESPN 47 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) took on fellow lightweight contender [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who he dominated and defeated by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27).

For the vast majority of the 15-minute bout, Dawson completely controlled Ismagulov on the ground. Dawson spent a lot of time with control of Ismagulov’s back but was unable to lock in a submission.

Dawson took Ismagulov down three times throughout the fight as he chose to place his opponent down in the center of the cage rather than against it.

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After the fight, Dawson requested either a big name or a big-ranked opponent for his next matchup. Dawson has not lost in a dozen appearances. Other notable wins include Mark Madsen and Jared Gordon.

Ismagulov, who had publicly contemplated retirement in recent months, has lost back-to-back fights for the first time in his pro career.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 47 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

UFC on ESPN 48: Damir Ismagulov vs. Grant Dawson odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 48 odds and lines between Damir Ismagulov vs. Grant Dawson with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a lightweight bout on the main card, Damir Ismagulov and Grant Dawson meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 48 — also known as UFC Vegas 76 — at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 48: Ismagulov vs. Dawson odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims are on ESPN/ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET, with the main card on ESPN/ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

Records: Ismagulov (24-2-0) | Dawson (19-1-1)

Ismagulov is looking to bounce back after suffering a unanimous-decision setback against Arman Tsarukyan last time out in mid-December. Since arriving at the UFC level in Dec. 2018, he has gone the distance in all 6 of his fights. His most recent victory against Guram Kutateladze last June was his only career split decision, and it was a win.

Dawson has managed an impressive 7-0-1 record since making his UFC debut against Julian Erosa in a unanimous-decision win back in March 2019. The only blemish is a draw against Ricky Glenn in October 2021. His past 2 wins have been via submission, including a 3rd-round tap against a previously-undefeated Mark O. Madsen in November.

Dawson, nicknamed “KGD”, has just 3.12 significant strikes landed per minute to 3.78 for Ismagulov. However, Dawson is much more accurate striker, landing 63.71% to just 51.45% for the Kazakh fighter.

Dawson is better in the takedown game, too, holding a 3.80-to-1.17 takedown average advantage, while recording a 34.62% takedown accuracy percentage. He also has a 1.55 submission average to his credit.

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UFC on ESPN 48: Ismagulov vs. Dawson odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:35 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Ismagulov -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Dawson -106 (bet $106 to win $100)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -240 | Under +184)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -182 | No +142)

UFC on ESPN 48: Ismagulov vs. Dawson picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

The books feel this fight will be a toss-up, but I think the clear advantage goes to DAWSON (-106). The switch-stance fighter can do it in a number of ways and his versatility will serve him well in this fight.

Dawson can go toe to toe with Ismagulov, but he also is very accurate with his punches and is better in the ground game. If the American takes it to the canvas, Ismagulov could be in trouble.

As far as Method of Victory is concerned since Ismagulov has gone the distance in all 6 of his fights at the UFC level, you can’t stray from that now. Take DAWSON BY POINTS (+260) for a solid value.

Over/Under (O/U)

Over 2.5 Rounds (-240) is just a little too expensive for my liking. I am not a giant fan of the price for FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE? YES (-182), either. However, the price is a little more tolerable if you toss it into a parlay.

Playing ‘Yes’ is also more palatable if you don’t want to declare a winner but still would like some action on the bout.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.

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UFC’s Damir Ismagulov eyes future matchup against Justin Gaethje: ‘I’ll play with him like a little kitten’

If he gets the chance, Damir Ismagulov thinks a fight against former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje would be an easy fight.

LAS VEGAS – UFC lightweight [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] wants to mix it up with strikers, and has his eyes on a fan-favorite former interim champion.

First things first, Ismagulov (24-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has business against Grant Dawson (19-1-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 47. The event takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and airs on ESPN and also streams on ESPN+.

Ismagulov believes a matchup against an exciting striker would help show off his skillset to the UFC fanbase, while also getting away from a string of matchups against opponents who prefer to grapple.

“I would love to fight against stand-up fighters in the UFC, because that could be a fun fight, an interesting, firey fight, and I could get my bonus,” Ismagulov told reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Really, I’m like (Vasily) Lomachenko, but he’s in boxing and I’m in MMA.”

If Ismagulov can rebound from a loss in his previous outing, a co-main event spot against Arman Tsaruykyan, he would love a future match up with [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag], who is set to take on Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 for the “BMF” title. However, the highlight reel means nothing to Ismagulov, who believes he would make things look easy against the former interim UFC lightweight champion.

“Gaethje’s considered to be one of the best strikers in the lightweight division,” Ismagulov said. “He thinks that he’s one of the best. But if I get to fight against him, I’ll play with him like a little kitten. I’ll show him what a Kazakh school of boxing is like. It’s the easy fight for me.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

Video: UFC on ESPN 47 media day interviews

Before UFC on ESPN 47 on Saturday, 14 athletes from the card are scheduled to speak to reporters Wednesday at media day.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC schedule for July kicks off Saturday with UFC on ESPN 47, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

A middleweight bout serves as the main event, with [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) taking on [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag] (25-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a matchup between one established contender and an opponent looking to make a splash in just his second octagon appearance.

Before fight night arrives, though, 14 athletes from this weekend’s card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream above, check below for the archived videos of each media day session.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

UFC on ESPN 48’s Grant Dawson aiming for top 10 after Damir Ismagulov: ‘I’m thinking Beneil Dariush’

Grant Dawson thinks his style poses problems for Damir Ismagulov at UFC on ESPN 48, and eyes taking on top 10 opponents by year’s end.

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] thinks his style poses problems for [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag].

Dawson (19-1-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) meets fellow ranked lightweight Damir Ismagulov (24-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 48 on July 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Ismagulov recently saw his 19-fight winning streak snapped by Arman Tsarukyan. He briefly retired after the loss citing health issues as the cause, before walking his decision back. But even at 100 percent, Dawson is confident he has his number.

“I don’t think he was exposed,” Dawson told MMA Junkie Radio. “He keeps telling people he was sick that night, that he had health issues, and I believe him. I absolutely believe him. However, if we believe him that he was sick that night, and now he’s healthy and 100 percent, the outcome of this fight, there’s no excuses.

“So, if he’s 100 percent – which I believe he is, we go in there and I beat him, there’s no excuses after that. I’m expecting the best Damir Ismagulov, but I think just stylistically, I’m a bad matchup for him.”

Dawson’s UFC career has been impressive so far, but inactivity has halted his momentum. But if he can get past Ismagulov, he expects a big-name opponent next.

“First off I gotta beat Damir,” Dawson said. “And I think a big win over him, especially a finish over him which is what I’m aiming for – I’m definitely expecting this to go three rounds, but obviously if I can get him out of there, I think that’s going to catapult me in front of a couple of people. My plan is to fight somebody in the top 10 by December.

“So I beat Damir, I get ranked top 12, maybe a little bit higher, and then I go for somebody in the top 10. I’m thinking Beneil Dariush. I know that the Chandler and Conor fight isn’t happening. So, if the UFC wants me to keep Chandler warm, that’ll be something that I’m very interested in as well. However, Damir has my undivided attention right now.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 48.

Grant Dawson vs. Damir Ismagulov booked for UFC Fight Night on July 1

Rising and ranked lightweight contenders Damir Ismagulov and Grant Dawson will throw down in July.

A pair of rising and ranked UFC lightweight contenders will throw down in July as [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] is set to take on [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night on July 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking Thursday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Ismagulov (24-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) contemplated retirement after suffering his first octagon loss to Arman Tsarukyan this past December at UFC Fight Night 216, but it didn’t take long for the 32-year-old to walk back those thoughts. Prior to the setback, Ismagulov was on a 19-fight winning streak, including wins over Guram Kutateladze and Thiago Moises.

Dawson (19-1-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC), who now trains out of American Top Team, is unbeaten in the UFC.  Dawson has finished three of his past four fights and is coming off back-to-back third-round submissions over Jared Gordon and Mark Madsen.

With the addition, the July 1 lineup includes:

  • Abus Magomedov vs. Sean Strickland
  • Melissa Gatto vs. Ariane Lipski
  • Khusein Askhabov vs. Joanderson Brito
  • Max Griffin vs. Michael Morales
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Brunno Ferreira
  • Luana Carolina vs. Ivana Petrovic
  • Grant Dawson vs. Damir Ismagulov

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Damir Ismagulov postpones UFC retirement, calls for Arman Tsarukyan rematch

Just 28 days after he announced he was done fighting, Damir Ismagulov has changed course.

UFC lightweight contender [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] isn’t retired, after all.

In an Instagram post Sunday, Ismagulov (24-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) revealed intentions to fight at least one more time, as his UFC contract has not yet finished out. The post comes 28 days after Ismagulov announced his retirement due to “circumstances and health problems.”

Additionally, Ismagulov called for a rematch against fellow contender Arman Tsarukyan (19-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), whom he lost a competitive unanimous decision against at UFC Fight Night 216 in December.

“Recently, (my manager) informed me that I have one more fight left under my contract with @ufc,” Ismagulov wrote Sunday, in Russian. “There were many offers from other leagues where fees were way higher and you could go in there and make money, but I came to @ufc not for the money but for the legacy, to prove to myself that I can compete against the strongest fighters! I finished my career, but after finding out I had another fight under my contract, I decided to go back and finish it! We accept to repay our debts! In the ultimate fight I lost to (Arman Tsarukyan) who is one of the strongest lightweight fighters in @ufc his fight is really on a good level! I would have let go of this moment if I knew I did everything I could and still lost. I think we can show the fight a lot better, more spectacular than 5 rounds or 3 doesn’t matter! We promised the fans to finish our fight early! @danawhite @sayatus @seanshelby revenge for us. Let’s hold the last battle with fireworks.”

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Representing Kazakhstan, Ismagulov made his UFC debut in December 2018 after a championship run as the lightweight champion for Russian promotion M-1 Global. Over the span of his six-fight UFC tenure, Ismagulov won decisions against Alex Gorgees, Joel Alvarez, Thiago Moises, Rafael Alves and Guram Kutateladze.

Ismagulov is currently ranked No. 12 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

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