Grant Dawson defeats Nurullo Aliev by unanimous decision at UFC 333

Grant Dawson took a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Nurullo Aliev on the main card of UFC 333 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 24, with all three judges scoring the bout 29-27, as first reported by MMA Fighting.

The result ended Aliev's perfect run. The 25-year-old Tajik fighter entered the cage at 12-0, having won each of his three most recent recorded fights by unanimous decision, the latest against Mike Davis at a UFC Fight Night on July 25. Aliev lands 2.72 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy and averages 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Dawson, a 32-year-old American Top Team fighter known as KGD, now has a 25th win to add to his record, which stood at 24-3-1 going in. The switch-stance grappler brings a heavier offensive profile than his opponent: 3.21 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy, 3.81 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. That is roughly 1.7 more takedowns and 0.8 more submission attempts per 15 minutes than Aliev averages.

Why it matters

• Dawson bounced back from a first-round knockout loss to Manuel Torres at UFC 323 in December 2025. His most recent recorded fight before this one was a third-round submission win over Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 328 on May 9, so he has now won two straight.
• Aliev's first professional defeat comes in a fight that, on paper, was evenly matched physically. Both men stand five-foot-ten with a 72-inch (183 cm) reach.
• The seven-year age gap favored the younger man, but the veteran's volume and grappling numbers carried through three rounds on all three scorecards.

The 29-27 margin on every card indicates Dawson was credited with two rounds to Aliev's one across the board, a clear if not dominant verdict. For Aliev, the loss is a test of how he rebuilds after his first setback, having won all three of his previous recorded UFC fights by decision.