Grant Dawson, born on July 9, 1994, is an American mixed martial artist competing in the lightweight division (155 lbs) of the UFC as of October 2024. Born in Wisconsin, U.S., and starting a professional career in mixed martial arts in 2014, he competes out of the American Top Team and is known for his great grappling game. Dawson made his promotional debut in the UFC on March 9, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos, winning via unanimous decision against Julian Erosa.
Some of the notable wins for Dawson came against Damir Ismagulov and Jared Gordon. In his last fight, the Wisconsin native faced Joe Solecki at UFC 302 on June 2024 and won via unanimous decision. As of October 10, 2024, he maintains a record of 21-2-1 with his next bout scheduled against Rafa Garcia at the UFC Fight Night on October 12, 2024.
Grant Dawson's Fighting Style
Grant Dawson is a grappler who is highly effective with his wrestling-based fighting style. He prefers to take down his opponents to gain dominant positions on the ground. The lightweight contender is highly proficient in rear naked chokes, as 11 of his 13 submission wins have come via the technique. As of October 10, 2024, Dawson boasts a 38% takedown accuracy in the UFC.
Dawson has also shown knockout power, stopping four opponents via KO or TKO, including a last-second KO of Leonardo Santos in 2021. His combination of heavy ground pressure with submission threats makes him a formidable opponent in any grappling exchange. With an 80% finish rate in his career, Dawson’s plan of attack revolves around breaking opponents down physically and mentally until he secures the finish.
Grant Dawson UFC Record
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location |
| Win | 21–2–1 | Joe Solecki | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 302 | June 1, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
| Loss | 20–2–1 | Bobby Green | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green | October 7, 2023 | 1 | 0:33 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 20–1–1 | Damir Ismagulov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Strickland vs. Magomedov | July 1, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 19–1–1 | Mark Madsen | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos | November 5, 2022 | 3 | 2:05 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 18–1–1 | Jared Gordon | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Vera | April 30, 2022 | 3 | 4:11 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Draw | 17–1–1 | Ricky Glenn | Draw (majority) | UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori | October 23, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 17–1 | Leonardo Santos | KO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland | March 20, 2021 | 3 | 4:59 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 16–1 | Nad Narimani | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 | July 19, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Win | 15–1 | Darrick Minner | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo | February 29, 2020 | 2 | 1:38 | Norfolk, Virginia, United States |
| Win | 14–1 | Michael Trizano | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee | May 18, 2019 | 2 | 2:27 | Rochester, New York, United States |
| Win | 13–1 | Julian Erosa | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos | March 9, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Wichita, Kansas, United States |
| Win | 12–1 | Adrian Diaz | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Dana White's Contender Series 1 | August 17, 2017 | 2 | 1:15 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
Grant Dawson maintains a UFC record of 9 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw (9-1-1) as of October 10, 2024. He has secured four wins via submissions, one by a knockout, and four by decisions. His only loss in the UFC to date came against Bobby Green on October 7, 2023.
FAQs on Grant Dawson
A. Grant Dawson uses a wrestling-based fighting style.
A. Grant Dawson’s primary strength lies in wrestling over striking.
A. As of October 10, 2024, Grant Dawson holds a professional MMA record of 21 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw (21-2-1).
A. Grant Dawson is scheduled to fight Rafa Garcia on October 10, 2024.
A. As of October 2024, Grant Dawson has a takedown accuracy of 38%.
