Tag: Grant Dawson

UFC veterans in MMA, boxing and bareknuckle boxing action Sept. 29-Oct. 1

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC is idle after last Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 228.

After 17 consecutive weeks, the promotion takes a week off before returning to Las Vegas on Oct. 7 for UFC Fight Night 229, which features a lightweight matchup between [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA, kickboxing, muay Thai and bareknuckle boxing this week from Sept. 29-30.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Ahead of first UFC headliner, ‘Apex predator’ Grant Dawson sees perks to competing without crowd

“I’m very comfortable at the UFC Apex, so it only makes sense that my first main event is going to be at the Apex.”

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] is happy to continue fighting at the UFC Apex.

Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) meets Bobby Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) in a lightweight main event at UFC Fight Night 229 on Oct. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dawson’s past five outings have come at the UFC Apex, and his first octagon headliner will also take place at the Apex.

“Honestly right now, I’m just considering myself this Apex predator because my last, like, five have all been in the Apex,” Dawson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve come away with wins at the Apex, I’m very comfortable at the Apex, so it only makes sense that my first main event is going to be at the Apex.”

He experienced the incredible French crowd when he cornered his teammate Thiago Moises earlier this month in Paris, but Dawson said fighting at the Apex means he actually gets to hear his corner. So, he likes it and sees it as an advantage.

“It really doesn’t matter to me,” Dawson said. “If we’re going off of purely just would I rather fight at the Apex or in front of a crowd, I’d rather fight at the Apex. The crowd is great, I love it, and they definitely have their place. I’ll get more followers fighting in front of a crowd.

“I’ll get more hyped up fighting in front of a crowd, but when you’re fighting guys at this level, being able to hear your coach and being able to have them coach you through things is such a cheat code. I absolutely think it’s a huge advantage for me to fight at the Apex.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

UFC’s Grant Dawson doesn’t see unranked Bobby Green as step back, eyes Dan Hooker with win

Bobby Green might be unranked, but Grant Dawson still views him as a dangerous opponent at UFC Fight Night 229.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] might be unranked, but [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] still views him as a big fight.

Lightweights Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) and Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) will headline UFC Fight Night 228 on Oct. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dawson is currently ranked in the UFC’s top 10 at 155 pounds but sees a win over fan favorite Green propelling him forward regardless. Green is coming off a submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 291, and Dawson thinks underestimating him would be a grave mistake.

“Rankings, to me, doesn’t make any difference,” Dawson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m not fighting backwards in this fight, I’m not fighting forward, I’m just fighting. That’s what it is. Islam Makhachev got a title shot off of beating Bobby Green, so anything can happen in this sport. Bobby Green, if I’m not on my game and if I don’t respect him like he deserves to be respected, I’m going to be looking up at him off of my back getting woken up by the referee.

“I know how dangerous he is. I know how much experience he has. I know what a big following he has. I am ready for a very, very competitive and a very, very strong fight. I don’t like it when people are like, ‘Oh, you’re fighting behind.’ There is no fighting behind. We’re just fighting, that’s it. The only spot that matters is who’s champion. That is really the only thing that matters.”

If Dawson gets past Green, he hopes to draw [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] next. Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC) returned to the win column in July when he edged out Jalin Turner in a thrilling battle at UFC 290.

“After Bobby Green – obviously I’m only focused on Bobby Green, but after Bobby Green, we’re looking to fight against Dan Hooker,” Dawson said. “Assuming everything goes well, and I think that would be one of my breakout performances.”

Although a risky approach, Dawson thinks his willingness to fight anyone and remain active will eventually pay off and lead to his goal of becoming champion. Dawson is unbeaten in his past 12 fights.

“As long as I keep winning, I don’t think that they’ll be able to deny me much longer,” Dawson concluded. “I think that by the end of 2025, we will have a new champion and his name will be Grant Dawson.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 4-10)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 4-10.

Grant Dawson vs. Bobby Green headlines UFC’s Oct. 7 Fight Night card in Las Vegas

The UFC has its main event for when it returns from a one-week break early next month.

The UFC has its headliner for when it returns from a one-week break early next month.

Lightweights [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) have the main event spot at the UFC’s Oct. 7 event, like to be UFC Fight Night 228. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

MMA Junkie confirmed the booking and main event status with people with knowledge of the matchup. The people asked to remain anonymous because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement. Fight Bananas was first to report the news.

Dawson will headline a UFC show for the first time. The 29-year-old American Top Team product is unbeaten in his past 12 fights. He came to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017 and is 8-0-1 in the promotion with five stoppages, including four rear-naked chokes.

The 36-year-old Green got back in the win column in a big way with aa dominant performance against former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson in July at UFC 291. Green was on his way to a win, but stayed after the finish and submitted Ferguson with just 6 seconds left in the fight for a $50,000 bonus – and a rebound after back-to-back losses to current champ Islam Makhachev on his way to the title and Drew Dober.

With the addition, the UFC’s Oct. 7 lineup now includes:

  • Grant Dawson vs. Bobby Green
  • Drew Dober vs. Ricky Glenn
  • Chris Gutierrez vs. Montel Jackson
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Joe Pyfer
  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Kanako Murata
  • Bill Algeo vs. Alexander Hernandez
  • Johnny Munoz vs. Aori Qileng
  • Nate Maness vs. Mateus Mendonca
  • Khusein Askhabov vs. Daniel Pineda
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Philipe Lins
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Stephanie Egger

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.

Grant Dawson unsure of next step after Damir Ismagulov win, but doesn’t want to fight ATT teammates

Grant Dawson is uncertain of what his path to the UFC lightweight title will look like.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] continues to rise up the UFC rankings, but he isn’t totally sure of how much he’s got left until he’s knocking on the door of a title shot.

Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 47 co-main event, Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) picked up his eighth with in the UFC when he dominated Damir Ismagulov (24-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) to win a unanimous decision and remain unbeaten in the octagon. It’s clear he’s on the rise, but what does remain murky is where he fits in the UFC lightweight title picture.

“I don’t really know,” Dawson told reporters at the post-fight press conference when asked about his path to the belt. “I think everyone has a different path. (Champion) Islam (Makhachev) had a weird path where he fought really good guys and then not-so-good guys, and then some really good guys, and then not-so-good guys, and then he looked great against the champion. … Everyone’s path is different. I think I just have to get back into the gym on Monday and get better.”

What may come next might be tough to know for Dawson. However, what he is certain of, is that he doesn’t want to fight any of his teammates at American Top Team, who also make up part of the top 15 in the UFC’s flyweight division.

“I have no interest in fighting (Renato) Moicano. I have no interest in fighting (Mateusz) Gamrot. (Arman) Tsarukyan is on the table, but it’s got to be the right circumstance,” Dawson said. “I train with these guys. I’ve seen these guys before. I’m not fighting Moicano. He’s a close friend of mine. That’s not happening. I really like Gamrot a lot – he’s a close friend of mine. I really enjoy training with him. I’m not really interested in fighting him.”

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In regard to his showing, Dawson is happy with what he did against Ismagulov. He might’ve not got the finish, but the win alone does the job for him.

“I am my harshest critic, but you can’t be upset with a win against a guy like Damir,” Dawson said. “It wasn’t about the performance. If you can get over a guy like Damir, that’s something to be proud of. That guy is not ranked No. 12 in the world. He’s so much better than that. They just put him at 12 for some weird reason. I’m very, very happy with the 30-27, 30-27, 30-26. I’m happy with it.”

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

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.