ABU DHABI – Grant Dawson beat Nad Narimani with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 30 in Abu Dhabi.
Take a look inside the fight with Dawson, who picked up his seventh straight win.
Result: Grant Dawson def. Nad Narimani via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
Updated records: Dawson (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Narimani (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Key stat: Dawson landed more than 60 percent of his strikes and outstruck Narimani 136-57.
Dawson on the fight’s key moment
“The strategy pretty much always stays the same: Be aggressive, get the takedown, look to be dominant from start to finish. We did that. In the third round, I wanted to show my striking ability. I wanted to get at least a knockdown or some good punches, but it didn’t go that way. But we got the win, and that’s all that matters.”
Dawson on what weight class he belongs in
“I am a huge ’45er. I don’t even think that calling me a ’45er is fair. I don’t want to get into numbers, but I’m heavier than a welterweight right now. Making 145 is hard. And making 145 for the amount (of money) I’m making, it’s just not worth it. … If I’m going to go down to ’45, I want to make the money doing it. I want to get a couple wins at ’55. … It’s going to be 155 until everything is normal.”
Dawson on what he wants next
“At 155 with the right matchup, I’ll turn around tomorrow, whenever, as soon as I’m able to fight – let’s go.”
To hear more from Dawson, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
