Leonardo Santos takes on Grant Dawson in the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 22 which will feature middleweight contender Kevin Holland go head to head against Derek Brunson in the main event of the evening.
Leonardo Santos is currently riding on a thirteen-fight win-streak with seven straight wins inside the UFC Octagon. The 41-year old fighter will look to maintain his undefeated streak inside the UFC with yet another statement win. Meanwhile, the 27-year old Grant Dawson will look to maintain his undefeated streak inside the Octagon as well when he takes on the MMA veteran in his fifth professional bout under the UFC banner.
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Let’s take a look at the stats of both the fighters and breakdown their fighting style in order to predict who gets the win when both the fighters share the Octagon this weekend.
Leonardo Santos vs Grant Dawson stats
Leonardo Santos is 41-years old. However, he continues to be an example that age is just a number. Dawson’s most notable win came against former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee back in 2015 when despite being a huge underdog, he picked up a stoppage win to send a statement to the division. However, a series of injuries would keep him away from fighting and what could have been an illustrious UFC career.
| Name | Leonardo Santos |
|---|---|
| Record | 18 Wins and 3 Losses |
| Last Five Fights | 5 Wins |
| Reach | 75 in |
| Fighting Style | BJJ |
| Team | Nova União |
| Nickname | Lamparão |
Santos is an ADCC bronze medallist and a four-time world champion from Brazil. He is a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with credible power in his hands. Santos was also the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2 welterweight tournament. Needless to say, despite the age, he will be a tough challenge for the young Grant Dawson.
Grant Dawson picked up the UFC contract back in 2017 with a second-round submission win over Adrian Diaz at Dana White’s Contender Series 6. Since then, KGD has picked up three straight victories to his name. He is a former featherweight contender who will take on Santos in the lightweight division.
| Name | Grant Dawson |
|---|---|
| Record | 16 Wins and 1 Loss |
| Last Five Fights | 5 Wins |
| Reach | 72 in |
| Fighting Style | Wrestling and Boxing |
| Team | Glory MMA & Fitness |
| Nickname | KGD |
Dawson will be looking at becoming the first fighter to hand Santos a loss inside the Octagon. He is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Grant Dawson has competed at catchweight in his last two outings and will finally make his lightweight debut for the UFC this weekend.
Leonardo Santos vs Grant Dawson prediction
While the resume favors Leonardo Santos, one can’t help but ignore Santos’s age. While he has proved it in the past that age is just a number, it will be a tough test against rising contender Grant Dawson. Be that as it may, if the fight does go to the ground, there’s a significant chance that Santos will triumph over Dawson owing to his exemplary submission skills.
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Dawson will look to avoid the takedowns and ensure that the fight doesn’t go to the round. Santos’ speed will be in question going against a young prospect like Dawson who will look for an early finish to send a statement to the lightweight division. While Santos does have a chance, I am leaning towards Grant Dawson to win via stoppage in the third round.
UFC Vegas 22: Leonardo Santos vs Grant Dawson prediction: Grant Dawson by stoppage in the third round.
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