Grant Dawson looking for seventh consecutive win with a victory on UFC Fight Island
Following back to back wins in the UFC in 2019, Grant Dawson was able to make it three straight victories with a second-round submission of Darrick Minner in February at UFC on ESPN+ 27 to kick off his 2020.
After the win over Minner, Dawson was seeking to get his second fight of 2020 sooner rather than later, but when the novel coronavirus hit, his plans were put on temporary hold.
“It was a good fight,” Dawson told MMAWeekly.com. “It was a good win. I feel like I dominated from bell to bell just like I always do.
“I’m not really a momentum type of guy, like I don’t believe in pushing through that momentum; I just want to fight, so as soon as that fight was over we were looking to get rebooked for another fight when the pandemic happened.”
Unlike other fighters, Dawson’s life didn’t alter too much due to the pandemic. In fact, he tried to use the downtime as best he could and work on his fight game.
“I don’t do much other than just train, play video games, and hang out with my significant other, so it didn’t change much about going out since I don’t go out anyway,” said Dawson. “It was just about getting the teammates come in and help out (with training).
“I feel like with the pandemic happening I took a lot of time to focus on where I think my game is weakest and try to make that a little bit stronger. Every day brings a new challenge, and you have to make the best of every situation, and I think we did that. I think I got better through this pandemic and I’m ready to show it.”
On Saturday on UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, Dawson (15-1) looks for his seventh win in a row when he faces Nad Narimani (12-3) in a 150-pound catchweight bout on the UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 prelims.
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“I feel like this is the most well-rounded guy that I’ve fought,” Dawson said. “Nad has good grappling, good striking, but he’s really not an expert anywhere. I also feel like I have good striking and grappling, but unlike him, I’m an expert in MMA. I think I can beat him where it goes.
“I don’t think he’s going to be able to hold my pace, and I think he’s going to find out quick the level difference that I have.”
For Dawson, there’s a very clear goal in mind for the remainder of 2020, starting with his bout with Narimani.
“My goal at the end of 2020 is to be ranked in the Top 15,” said Dawson. “After I beat Nad, we’re going to call out somebody in the Top 15, and then we’re going to look to keep that fight going.”
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Grant Dawson looking for seventh consecutive win with a victory on UFC Fight Island
