Don’t expect fireworks from “KGD.”
No. 13-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Grant Dawson returns to action against fast-rising Mexican prospect Manuel Torres in the “Featured” Prelim of UFC 323, which goes down this weekend (Sat., Dec. 6, 2025) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Outside of his lone UFC setback — a 33-second knockout loss to King Green — Dawson has been nearly flawless inside the Octagon. Still, the biggest knock on him is that he’s boring, a label that overshadows the six finishes he’s earned in the promotion.
Dawson doesn’t see it that way. To him, it’s not boring — it’s smart.
“If Grant Dawson gets his hand raised on December 6th, how would you say he won?” Dawson asked journalist James Lynch in a recent interview.
When Lynch answered “decision,” Dawson agreed.
“Take him down, hump his leg,” Dawson said. “This is not a criticism, but I’m impressed. I think his longest fight is four minutes and two seconds. That’s how dangerous this guy is. He’s live by the sword, die by the sword. Either he gets finished in the first round, or he finishes people in the first round. I would love a first-round finish, but I don’t see it going that way.”
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“We’re planning on playing this fight super, super smart. Super, super intelligent,” Dawson added. “When I fought Bobby Green, the game plan was more high-paced in the first round and I ended up getting caught. That is not the case in this one. We’re going to be safe, clean. I’m going to make him fight me the way I want him to fight me.”
It’s not an unreasonable approach. Torres owns a staggering 94 percent finish rate with eight knockouts and seven submissions — all in the first round.
Dawson likely won’t win over new fans with a risk-averse game plan, nor will he vault into the title picture anytime soon. But he knows the path: keep winning until the UFC can’t deny him. And with three straight victories, he’s well on his way.
LIVE! Stream UFC 323 On ESPN+
BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE REMATCH! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Dec. 6, 2025, with an explosive (and final) ESPN+-streamed UFC 323 fight card. In UFC 323’s main event, relentless Georgian Bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvilidefends his belt against Russian striking phenom and former 135-pound roost-ruler, Petr Yanin a high-stakes rematch that could reshape the 135-pound division. In UFC 323’s co-headliner, Brazilian Flyweight kingpin, Alexandre Pantojabattles rising challenger, Joshua Vanfor the 125-pound crown in a clash blending elite grappling and knockout power. All that and SO MUCH MORE!!!
Don’t miss a single second of face-punching action!
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