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

Grant Dawson will draw a stern test in his lightweight debut.

Dawson (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) faces Leonardo Santos (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