The Ultimate Fighting Championship gets back to business after a rare bye week and will put forth a worthwhile offering with UFC Fight Night 229 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main event may lack star power but looks like an interesting fight on paper, as rising lightweight Grant Dawson tries to prove himself as a five-round threat against a perennial tough out in Bobby Green. Beyond that, there is serious potential for violence. The middleweight co-headliner pairing Joseph Pyfer with Abdul Razak Alhassan, a welterweight showcase pitting Alex Morono against Joaquin Buckley and a lightweight attraction matching Drew Dober with Ricky Glenn all have decent odds of ending in knockouts. Throw in a fun opener between Alexander Hernandez and Bill Algeo, and the lineup carries considerable depth for a show of this size.
Lightweights
#10 LW | Grant Dawson (20-1-1, 8-0-1 UFC) vs. Bobby Green (30-14-1, 11-9-1 UFC)ODDS: Dawson (-425), Green (+300)
It has been a slow rise for Dawson, and years of hard work have culminated in this main event slot where “KGD” can prove himself as a potential title challenger. Signed off Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017, Dawson made his UFC debut in 2019 as a fairly single-minded fighter, working exclusively behind a relentless wrestling game focused on control. It was unclear how far Dawson could ride that approach, particularly since he would clearly tire himself out against opponents unwilling to go away quickly, but it has proven to be a surprisingly effective game plan, leading him to an undefeated return in nine UFC bouts. Over time, Dawson has also developed a functional striking game that helped get him through some growing pains, but as he has moved onto more high-profile affairs, a lot of that has fallen by the wayside. Dawson may yet prove to have some tricks in his back pocket on the feet, but wrestling and grappling have proven to be his first, second and third ideas. Dominant wins over Mark O. Madsen and Damir Ismagulov proved Dawson has the combination of athleticism, technique and relentlessness to take down nearly any opponent in the lightweight division, but things have come somewhat full circle as he nears what might be a career peak. Questions once again center around how well Dawson’s gas tank will hold up. That is particularly crucial heading into a five-round fight against Green, who, despite some late-career slippage, is nearly always a tough out.
Already a well-traveled vet when he came to the UFC via Strikeforce in his mid-20s, Green charged up the ladder with some impressive wins before suffering a loss to Edson Barboza in 2014, after which “King” seemed to be absolutely cursed. A combination of personal tragedy and injuries consistently kept Green out of action, and his defensively mindful and counter-heavy style got him nowhere on the scorecards, leading to some controversial decision losses. That made Green’s breakout 2020 campaign all the more uplifting. With the UFC’s matchmaking in chaos thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and Green finally having a string of health, he was able to gain some notice by stepping in constantly for some exciting performances, even winning three bouts in the span of less than three months. Green has since been a fan favorite whenever he fights in front of a crowd, and even despite some inconsistent results in what looks like the back stretch of his career, he has earned some high-profile opportunities. He stepped in on a two-week turnaround and dropped a fight to future champion Islam Makhachev, and had enough name value by July to earn the plum spot of beating a late-career Tony Ferguson. Green has turned up the aggression a bit more in recent years, often to his detriment, but that might pay some dividends in the name of turning up the pace and attempting to tire Dawson out. Green’s takedown defense has historically been a strength, which, if nothing else, makes this unlikely to be a blowout and gives him the opportunity to take over by the championship rounds. However, Dawson has shown a bit more life in the later rounds against Madsen and Ismagulov, which makes it likelier than not that he can at least bank three rounds before tiring to the point of ineffectiveness. It remains unclear if Dawson can survive all the way to the final horn after 25 minutes, as there is still a decent chance that Green can take him out once he is completely gassed. With that said, the bet is that Dawson can hang onto that early lead. It could get dire late, but the pick is Dawson via decision.
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Dawson vs. Green
Pyfer vs. Alhassan
Buckley vs. Morono
Dober vs. Glenn
Cutelaba vs. Lins
Algeo vs. Hernandez
The Prelims