Grant Dawson showcased his elite back-mount skills and back-taking ability at UFC 328, which the post considers comparable to fighters like Taira and Sterling. His opponent Rebecki made a tactical error by initiating grappling exchanges. Despite this victory, Dawson continues to show instability in the standup game with weak body language in striking and poor ability to absorb strikes. His UFC record now stands at 12-2-1 with this being his fifth rear-naked choke victory. The post notes he is on pace to eventually surpass fighters like Maia, Chiesa, and Moicano in submission totals, having won dozens of rounds through control.
Grant Dawson extended his reputation as one of the lightweight division's premier grapplers at UFC 328 on May 9, finishing his opponent with a rear-naked choke to move to 24-3-1 overall in his professional career.
Dawson, nicknamed "KGD," is ranked eleventh at lightweight and competes out of American Top Team. The 32-year-old from the United States stands five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach and fights out of a switch stance. His grappling numbers are exceptional, averaging 3.81 takedowns per fifteen minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts in the same span. This latest rear-naked choke was his fifth of that variety in the UFC, and the victory continued a pattern of Dawson winning sustained rounds through positional control and back-mount pressure that draws comparisons to the division's elite submission artists. Questions about his striking remain, however, with observers pointing to defensive vulnerabilities and uncertain body language when exchanges turn to standup.
His opponent, Nazim Sadykhov, known as "Black Wolf," came in at 11-3-1 and represents Azerbaijan while training out of Longo-Weidman MMA. The southpaw is also 32 and shares Dawson's five-foot-ten height, though his reach measures a shorter 69 inches. Sadykhov generates an impressive 4.79 significant strikes per minute, suggesting he is most dangerous on the feet, which made his decision to initiate grappling exchanges a costly tactical miscalculation against a fighter of Dawson's caliber on the mat.
Why it matters
- Dawson's fifth UFC rear-naked choke puts him on a trajectory that could eventually rival submission leaders in the lightweight division
- His ranking of eleventh at lightweight means continued strong performances will push him closer to title contention
- The matchup exposed the risk of engaging Dawson in wrestling, a lesson that future opponents at 155 pounds will need to heed
- Striking defensiveness remains the clearest avenue opponents have to exploit him
Saturday, May 9, 2026
