Grant Dawson of American Top Team is an athlete to watch in UFC
Here is my video interview with UFC lightweight fighter Grant Dawson, who trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek.
Dawson (20-1-1) is climbing the ladder, 8-0-1 in UFC, including a big victory by unanimous decision over Russia’s Damir Ismagulov at UFC Fight Night on ESPN (Strickland vs. Magomedov) in July from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
A Midwesterner (Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri), Dawson excelled in wrestling. His grappling (especially his riding skills) are top notch. Since making the move to South Florida and joining ATT (thanks to Bellator MMA middleweight champ Johnny Eblen), Dawson has elevated his game, adding more components of MMA in an effort to become a complete fighter.
The hard work with the coaches and teammates at ATT is paying off.
Dawson, 29, felt great against Damir, his best overall outing to date. His only setback occurred prior to UFC and ATT. That was to Hugh Pulley at Kansas City Fighting Alliance 18 on April 30, 2016.
On the flip side, his big moment materialized on August 17, 2017, when he beat Adrian Diaz by submission (rear-naked choke) on Dana White’s Contender Series (season 1) to earn a UFC contract.
In UFC, so far, Dawson was awarded two Performance of the Night bonuses (wins over Michael Trizano and Leonardo Santos). His lone draw (majority style) with Ricky Glenn in 2021.
Dawson was born in Cambria, Wisconsin, grew up in Stromsburg, Nebraska. A Green Bay Packers’ fan, like his dad, Dawson enjoyed football, wanting to become an NFL player. As he got older, football was not in the cards; so he opted to concentrate solely on wrestling. A great move as he finished his senior season at Cross County Community School with a 40-8 record and interest from smaller college wrestling programs.
Dawson turned his attentions to MMA. He actually trained in MMA during his high school years. Dealing with dyslexia, not knowing what to pursue in college and having the support of his family made his MMA choice easier.
Dawson’s wife, Elle, is also an MMA fighter. She, too, trains at ATT. They made the move to South Florida in 2022.
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