Athletes
Grant Dawson Finish Rankings
If There’s One Thing Grant Dawson Does Well, It’s Finish A Fight. Here’s Our Picks For How They Ranked.
Whenever “KGD” steps into the Octagon, fans anticipate a fight and a stellar finish to go along with it.
Every Grant Dawson UFC Finish
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Every Grant Dawson UFC Finish
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On the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs Green card at the UFC APEX, Dawson is set to headline his first UFC main event, facing fellow lightweight contender Bobby Green. Since his debut in the UFC after securing a contract on season one of Dana White’s Contender Series, Dawson has consistently delivered action-packed fights and finishes living up to the initial excitement.
Before Saturday’s main event, let’s take a look at his most memorable finishes.
1 - Grant Dawson vs Mark O. Madsen
At UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs Lemos, Grant Dawson aimed to be the first fighter to hand Mark O. Madsen a professional loss.
Madsen started the first round off strong by immediately sitting Dawson down with a right hand and landing a significant number of strikes. Still, Dawson quickly recovered and dominated the Olympian on the ground for the rest of the round. In the second, Dawson continued his grappling dominance and outmaneuvered Madsen once again, leaving him in bottom position for most of the time.
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Dawson maintained his aggressive approach in the third, eventually bringing Madsen back to the mat. He swiftly found a way under Madsen’s neck and applied a rear naked choke, forcing Madsen to tap out just two minutes into the round.
2 - Grant Dawson vs Leonardo Santos
Grant Dawson Earns Last-Second Knockout | UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs Holland
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Grant Dawson Earns Last-Second Knockout | UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs Holland
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Dawson maintained his undefeated record at UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs Holland.
In the opening round, Santos came in with a hard leg kick, and despite Dawson's attempts at takedowns and strikes, Santos was still standing. It wasn’t until about two minutes into the second round that Dawson’s overhand right landed and really rocked Santos. But all of Dawson’s attempts at striking and takedowns were met with Santos’s strong defenses and counterattacks, and, by the third round, it could have been anyone’s fight.
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In the final frame, Dawson successfully landed the takedown he had been working for, transitioning to half-guard. He managed to land a few ground-and-pound strikes with just under two minutes left in the fight. With only a minute remaining, Dawson got some more good punches in. Then, with less than 10 seconds left, he unleashed a barrage of powerful strikes that ultimately knocked Santos out. Dawson had claimed his victory with only one second left on the clock.
3 - Grant Dawson vs Adrian Diaz
This DWCS performance earned Dawson his UFC contract after he delivered the most dominating performance of the evening.
Dawson started off this bout by immediately taking it to the ground and controlling the fight from the top position, following that by delivering non-stop ground-and-pound on his opponent. After consistently punishing Diaz throughout the round, Dawson nearly got the job done in the final moments by attacking from back mount and attempting a rear naked choke, missing the submission by just a few seconds.
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In the second round, Dawson wasted no time, aggressively closing in on Diaz, lifting him off his feet, and slamming him to the mat. The ground-and-pound assault created another opportunity for Dawson to secure a chokehold. This time, Dawson successfully applied the submission, forcing Diaz to tap and securing his 12th career stoppage victory.
4 - Grant Dawson vs Darrick Minner
Grant Dawson handled business at UFC Norfolk by defeating his short-notice opponent, Darrick Minner, via submission in the second round.
In the opening moments, Minner nearly locked in a guillotine choke, but Dawson managed to escape and gain the top position. Despite Minner’s continued attempts for a submission from his back, Dawson skillfully avoided them. Minner then tried another guillotine, but again, Dawson managed to escape. In the final minute of the round, Dawson surged, landing a series of powerful strikes and even attempted a submission as the round ended.
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As round two kicked off, Dawson utilized another guillotine attempt by Minner to bring the fight to the ground. This time, Dawson swiftly transitioned to mount and then to Minner’s back, securing a rear-naked choke that led to Minner tapping out at 1:38 of the second round.
5 - Grant Dawson vs Jared Gordon
In his first fight since switching training camps from Glory MMA to American Top Team, Grant Dawson secured a victory and a finish by submitting Jared Gordon in the third round.
Despite Gordon initially having an advantage in the first half of the round, Dawson managed to take control when he moved the fight to the ground and gained a dominant position on Gordon’s back. Although he couldn’t secure the finish before the round ended, Dawson continued his ground control in the second round.
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Gordon made a comeback attempt but was eventually knocked down and kept there in the final minute. In the third, Gordon continued to fight for a finish, but Dawson refused to let that happen. When the fight returned to the mat, Dawson applied a rear naked choke, ultimately ending the bout at 4:11 of the final round.
6 - Grant Dawson vs Michael Trizano
In Rochester, Grant Dawson and Michael Trizano faced off, and Dawson secured his victory by submitting the former TUF champion in the second round, marking Trizano’s first professional loss.
Dawson initiated the bout by taking control and executing two takedowns. Still, Trizano remained resilient, scoring well on the feet, cutting Dawson over the right eye, and effectively defending himself at close range.
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Trizano’s sharp jabs reopened Dawson’s cut as round two began, prompting Dawson to take the bout to the mat. Dawson saw the perfect opportunity when Trizano gave up his back, and he secured a rear naked choke that led to Trizano tapping out at 2:27 of the second round. With this win, Dawson moved to 14-1.
UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs Green took place live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 7, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
