Grant Dawson secured another submission victory at UFC 328, showcasing his elite back control and back-taking ability. The report suggests Dawson's back mount skills are comparable to top grapplers like Aljamain Sterling and Charles Oliveira. His opponent Rebecki made a tactical error by initiating the grappling exchange himself, which played into Dawson's strengths. Despite ongoing defensive vulnerabilities in the striking exchanges, Dawson improved his UFC record to 12-2-1. This marked his fifth rear-naked choke finish in the UFC, positioning him to potentially challenge the all-time records held by Demian Maia, Michael Chiesa, and Renato Moicano in that category.
Grant Dawson added another submission victory to his growing résumé at UFC 328 on May 9, choking out Mateusz Rebecki via rear-naked choke to push his UFC record to 12-2-1 and claim his fifth finish of that kind inside the organization.
Dawson, 32, competes at lightweight and enters the rankings at number 11 in the division. Fighting out of American Top Team, the switch-stance grappler from the United States has built one of the most complete submission games in the weight class. His takedown rate of 3.81 per 15 minutes ranks among the most aggressive in the division, and his striking output of 3.21 significant strikes per minute with 52 percent accuracy shows he is no one-dimensional threat. The victory continued a pattern that has defined his UFC run: elite back-taking ability, suffocating control once there, and a rear-naked choke that arrives almost inevitably.
Rebecki's willingness to engage on the mat proved costly. By initiating the grappling exchange himself, he handed Dawson precisely the entry point his game is built around. Dawson's back mount skills drew comparisons in post-fight analysis to the very best in the sport, including Charles Oliveira and Aljamain Sterling. Despite some vulnerability in the striking exchanges, Dawson's defensive lapses on the feet were ultimately irrelevant once the fight reached the ground.
Why it matters
- Five rear-naked choke finishes in the UFC puts Dawson within range of the all-time records held by Demian Maia, Michael Chiesa, and Renato Moicano in that category
- A win over Rebecki at lightweight keeps Dawson's ranking momentum alive at number 11, with top-ten implications if he continues at this pace
- The matchup exposed a persistent pattern: opponents who take Dawson into the grappling realm on his terms tend to pay a steep price
Saturday, May 9, 2026
