Grant Dawson Admits ‘Surprise’ At Being Granted Main Event Spot Against ‘Not As Dangerous’ Bobby Green

Grant Dawson Admits ‘Surprise’ At Being Granted Main Event Spot Against ‘Not As Dangerous’ Bobby Green

Grant Dawson thinks that Bobby Green is the perfect opponent to prove to the UFC that he’s capable of performing in five-round fights.

“KGD” is currently the UFC’s #10-ranked lightweight contender after he put on an impressive performance against Damir Ismagulov back in July. Dawson is unbeaten since he debuted for the UFC in 2019, with the lone setback being a majority draw that came when he met Ricky Glenn in 2021.

Now set to headline his first UFC Fight Night card this weekend, the 29-year-old spoke to Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com and was asked if he was surprised to finally get his first main event slot.

“I’m not surprised that I got a main event, I am surprised who I got the main event against,” Dawson answered. “I figured my first main event was gonna be against somebody really, really dangerous that nobody wanted to fight and they had to bribe me with lots of money to take it on short notice. And it turned out it was me and Bobby Green.”

Dawson Expects Green To ‘Stick Around’ In Main Event Matchup 

Green has been with the UFC for more than 10 years now and is a tough out for any lightweight. Dawson believes that makes him a great matchup to prove that “KGD” can be just as dangerous when a fight goes into the championship rounds.

“I’m not looking past Bobby Green at all, I’m just saying he’s not quite as dangerous as some of these other guys. He’s a very skilled fighter, he’s a very talented fighter. But he’s just not a fighter that’s gonna flash KO, knock you out on the drop of a button. So I’m really glad that my first main event is against somebody that is gonna stick around. We’re probably gonna go at least into the later rounds – I hope not – but we probably will go into the later rounds. And so this is something that I get to prove to the UFC that you can put me in title fights and I’m not gonna fade.”

Dawson certainly seems confident that he’ll get the job done against Green, but the 29-year-old does have a lot to lose in this fight considering he’s taking on an experienced veteran who currently sits outside of the UFC’s lightweight Top 15.

“King” is coming off a third-round submission win over former interim titleholder Tony Ferguson when the pair met at UFC 291. Green has experienced mixed results over his last few outings, but he’s also been facing top competition like Drew Dober and current UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev during that stretch.

• Read Also: Tony Ferguson Accuses Bobby Green Of Deliberate Fight-Altering Eye Poke, Insists He Has ‘More To Give’

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