Grant Dawson secured another rear-naked choke victory at UFC 328, showcasing his elite back control and back-taking ability. The post suggests Dawson's back mount is comparable to fighters like Tatsuro Taira and Aljamain Sterling in terms of quality. Rebecki made a tactical error by engaging in grappling, which played into Dawson's strengths. Despite the win, concerns remain about Dawson's striking defense and overall instability in standup exchanges, with criticism of his body language and perceived weak punch resistance. Dawson now holds an impressive 12-2-1 record in the UFC with five rear-naked choke finishes, and he is approaching the career totals of submission specialists like Demian Maia, Michael Chiesa, and Renato Moicano.
Grant Dawson picked up another submission victory at UFC 328 on May 9, finishing Melsik Baghdasaryan Rebecki with a rear-naked choke to extend his remarkable stranglehold on the lightweight division's grappling landscape.
Dawson, fighting out of American Top Team, improved to 24-3-1 overall with the win, pushing his UFC record to an impressive 12-2-1. The 32-year-old American, ranked eleventh in the lightweight division, now has five rear-naked choke finishes to his name inside the octagon — a total that puts him in elite submission specialist territory alongside names like Demian Maia, Michael Chiesa, and Renato Moicano. Standing five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach, Dawson is a relentless grappler who averages 3.81 takedowns per fifteen minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per fifteen minutes, numbers that reflect how consistently he drags opponents into dangerous territory. His striking accuracy sits at 52 percent, with 3.21 significant strikes landed per minute — a respectable output, though his standup exchanges remain an area of concern.
Rebecki's decision to engage in grappling proved costly. Dawson's back control and back-taking mechanics were once again on full display, drawing comparisons to elite positional grapplers such as Tatsuro Taira and Aljamain Sterling in terms of the quality of his back mount. Once Dawson secured the position, the outcome was never seriously in doubt.
Why it matters
- Five rear-naked choke finishes in the UFC places Dawson among the most prolific submission finishers in lightweight history
- A win over Rebecki keeps Dawson in the top-fifteen conversation at 155 pounds, with his ranking likely under review
- Questions about his chin and striking defense could be exploited by the division's elite strikers if he continues his climb toward contention
- His grappling ceiling appears elite, but stylistic vulnerability on the feet remains a legitimate storyline heading into future matchups
Saturday, May 9, 2026
