Tag: Grant Dawson

Grant Dawson targets Clay Guida after UFC on ESPN 21: ‘It’s legends and rankings from here’

Grant Dawson explains why he called out Clay Guida following his last-second knockout win at UFC on ESPN 21 on Saturday.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] is aiming high following his most recent UFC win.

The 27-year-old UFC lightweight is in search of big names after his late buzzer stoppage win over Leonardo Santos at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21. Dawson (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) knocked out Santos with one second remaining in the fight.

Now with five straight wins since joining the UFC, Dawson thinks it’s time to start dipping his feet in higher profile bouts.

“It’s legends and rankings from here on out,” Dawson told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 21 post-fight press conference. “I want to fight guys that are ranked and guys that have big names. I don’t think that I’ve proven myself quite yet at 155. I think that a win over Clay Guida, especially after him saying he’s the one who said ‘I want to fight a young up-and-comer at 155 and somebody with less than 10 UFC fights.’ I’m your guy Clay Guida.

“I’m hurt – my leg is bruised up – but I will make time for you. I will make time. I’ll wait until these are healed, and I will cut weight and fight you. I’ve already beat up two guys from his camp. He’s got the opportunity to get it back for them. I’m the guy.”

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But the callout of Guida wasn’t the only thing that made headlines for Dawson on Saturday. Dawson’s finish right before the buzzer had many talking online. Although it may seem an unlikely outcome, Dawson said he knew he could put away Santos at any point in time.

“I feel like I’m one of the most dangerous guys in the UFC,” Dawson said. “I feel like I’m dangerous from Round 1 to 3, and that’s a tribute to my cardio, conditioning team, my coaches. I feel like I can finish the fight at any time, and I proved that (Saturday).”

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UFC on ESPN 21 post-event facts: Derek Brunson climbs all-time wins list

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 21, which saw Derek Brunson beat Kevin Holland in the main event.

The UFC continued its busy March run on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 21, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

[autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag]’s (22-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) resurgence as a middleweight contender continued in the main event when he largely dominated [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) en route to a unanimous decision, moving him into a tie for the third most wins in 185-pound history.

For more on the numbers behind Brunson’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 21.

Video: Grant Dawson KOs Leonardo Santos with 1 second left at UFC on ESPN 21

Watch UFC lightweight Grant Dawson pick up a last-second KO over veteran Leonardo Santos at UFC on ESPN 21 in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]’s latest knockout couldn’t have come any later than it did.

The UFC lightweight stopped [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] with one second remaining in their preliminary card fight at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21 in Las Vegas. The fight was waved off at the 4:59 mark of Round 3 after the Brazilian went unconscious from several hammerfists.

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It was a close fight that Dawson (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) could’ve lost. The first two rounds were very even and lacked action. Both Dawson and Santos traded good shots on the feet, but nothing significant – and there was plenty of stalemating in the cage in some positions on the ground.

Dawson handed Santos his first loss since May 2009 and ended his unbeaten run of 13 fights. The 27-year-old Dawson, who entered the UFC after winning a contract at Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017, is now on a five-fight wining streak. In his post fight interview, Dawson called out seasoned veteran Clay Guida for his next fight.

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UFC on ESPN 21 pre-event facts: Marion Reneau now oldest active UFC fighter

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 21, which features a Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland middleweight main event.

The UFC’s sprint of March events continues Saturday with UFC on ESPN 21, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

A key matchup of middleweights takes center stage in the main event. Longtime contender [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 12-5 UFC) will look to maintain his presence in the division when he takes on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who fights for the first time since putting together a record year in 2020.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 35 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 21.

UFC on ESPN 21: Make your predictions for Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21 event in Las Vegas.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 21 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 21 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

Leonardo Santos vs. Grant Dawson targeted for UFC Fight Night on March 20

Grant Dawson will draw a stern test in his lightweight debut when he faces Leonardo Santos.

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] will draw a stern test in his lightweight debut.

Dawson (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) faces [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] (18-3-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on March 20, which does not currently have a publicly announced location or venue.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed to MMA Junkie on Wednesday that the bout is close to finalized but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Currently riding a seven-fight winning streak, 26-year-old Dawson is one of the brightest young prospects in the UFC. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate has kicked off his UFC tenure at 4-0, most recently out-grappling Nad Narimani in July.

Since returning from an almost three-year layoff, Santos has picked up back-to-back wins with a knockout of Steven Ray and most recently a unanimous decision over Roman Bogatov at UFC 251 in July. Also unbeaten in the octagon, the Brazilian has won his past six in a row.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night on March 20 lineup includes:

  • Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland
  • Cheyanne Buys vs. Kay Hansen
  • Julia Avila vs. Julija Stoliarenko
  • Max Griffin vs. Song Kenan
  • Gustavo Lopez vs. Adrian Yanez
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Trevin Giles
  • Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Tai Tuivasa
  • Grant Dawson vs. Leonardo Santos

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UFC on ESPN+ 30 medical suspensions: Luana Carolina faces 180 days after nasty kneebar

Check out the full medical suspensions from UFC on ESPN+ 30.

New UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] won’t be held back by a medical suspension from his title conquest at UFC on ESPN+ 30.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

According to the list, Figueiredo (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who submitted [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] in the first round of their main event title bout, will only be suspended for seven days due to mandatory rest. On the other hand, Benavidez (28-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) faces 45 days. The longtime contender was dropped multiple times before he was submitted.

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The UFC on ESPN+ 30 competitor facing the longest potential suspension is [autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC). The Brazilian was suspended 180 days after suffering a kneebar submission defeat to [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag], which appeared to hyperextend her knee. Carolina can reduce the suspension down to 30 days if an MRI on her left knee is done and cleared by a doctor.

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 30 medical suspensions:

  • Deiveson Figueiredo: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • Joseph Benavidez: Suspended 45 days for forehead laceration with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Rafel Fiziev[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or 30 days minimum with left knee MRI clearance by a doctor. Also, no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO loss with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Nad Narimani[/autotag]: Suspended for 30 days for left eyebrow laceration and with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Joseph Duffy[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for “hard bout” and with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” and no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Davi Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended for 45 days for multiple lacerations and no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Sergey Spivak[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)

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Grant Dawson wants to be at lightweight – unless he’s getting the money to cut to 145

Take a look inside Grant Dawson’s win over Nad Narimani at UFC on ESPN+ 30 in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] beat Nad Narimani with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 30 in Abu Dhabi.

Take a look inside the fight with Dawson, who picked up his seventh straight win.

Result: Grant Dawson def. Nad Narimani via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
Updated records: Dawson (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Narimani (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Key stat: Dawson landed more than 60 percent of his strikes and outstruck Narimani 136-57.

Dawson on the fight’s key moment

“The strategy pretty much always stays the same: Be aggressive, get the takedown, look to be dominant from start to finish. We did that. In the third round, I wanted to show my striking ability. I wanted to get at least a knockdown or some good punches, but it didn’t go that way. But we got the win, and that’s all that matters.”

Dawson on what weight class he belongs in

“I am a huge ’45er. I don’t even think that calling me a ’45er is fair. I don’t want to get into numbers, but I’m heavier than a welterweight right now. Making 145 is hard. And making 145 for the amount (of money) I’m making, it’s just not worth it. … If I’m going to go down to ’45, I want to make the money doing it. I want to get a couple wins at ’55. … It’s going to be 155 until everything is normal.”

Dawson on what he wants next

“At 155 with the right matchup, I’ll turn around tomorrow, whenever, as soon as I’m able to fight – let’s go.”

To hear more from Dawson, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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UFC on ESPN+ 30 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Title fighters take home $30k each

UFC on ESPN+ 30 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $165,000.

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+ 30 took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island. The main card streamed ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 30 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]: $30,000
def. [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Marc Diakiese [/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nad Narimani[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Joe Duffy[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Davi Ramos[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,288,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $34,292,500