Grant Dawson | Big Game Hunting

Extended stays on the sidelines can happen for myriad reasons, but unfortunately for Dawson, he’s in that tricky position where opportunities are going to be somewhat limited simply because of how good he’s looked over the course of his UFC tenure.

The now 31-year-old Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduate is 11-1-1 since earning his place on the roster in the opening season of the successful talent search series. The draw came four years ago in his second bout since making the move to lightweight, and the loss two years hence, when he got clipped right out of the chute by veteran King Green.

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Otherwise, the Midwest standout who now calls South Florida home has been largely dominant, posting victories over steely veterans like Jared Gordon, Damir Ismagulov, and Ferreira, a Top 15 mainstay who had no answers for Dawson’s suffocating grappling attack. 

Younger competitors with the ability to make you look bad and claim your place in the hierarchy aren’t usually the people established names are rushing to fight, and Dawson knows it, which is why he has a clear idea about what he needs to do to change things going forward.

“I think the number one thing is beating the guys they put in front of me and then calling out guys that are ahead of me,” he said, laying out his approach. “I don’t think I’ll get those guys, but it doesn’t hurt to call them out.

“[The UFC] line ’em up, I knock ’em out; take them down to the ground, absolutely dominate them, and show that if you want to see me in a challenging fight, you’re gonna have to give me someone higher up in the ranks.”

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On Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, the American Top Team representative gets the chance to deliver another statement when he steps in with Torres in the final preliminary card bout of the evening.

A member of the DWCS Class of ’21, “El Loco” has posted a 4-1 record to begin his UFC tenure, collecting a Performance of the Night bonus in each of his victories, including one against Dawson’s teammate and fellow UFC 323 combatant Chris Duncan. Last time out, the 30-year-old rebounded from his first setback in the UFC with a blistering first-round stoppage win over veteran Drew Dober in Mexico City.

Now, Torres returns to the city where his dreams of competing on the biggest stage in the sport became a reality, but Dawson is hopeful that Saturday ends up being a nightmare for his electric opponent.

“[He’s a] super-tough guy; probably the most dangerous guy that I’ve fought,” he said of Torres, who has gone to a decision just once in his 19-fight career. “I would say other than Terrance McKinney, he might be the most dangerous guy in the division in the first round.

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“He’s lived by the sword, die by the sword,” Dawson added. “So, I’m just really hoping he dies.”

As much as he has ambitions of fighting forward and is understandably disappointed about how 2025 has played out, the well-spoken lightweight is also fully aware of how things work when it comes to getting those opportunities.

He’s got his job to do, and that’s the only thing he can control, which is why it’s his sole focus. Outside of that, it’s up to the fates… or the UFC brass.

“I think it would really depend on the form of the win,” Dawson said when asked what he needs to do this weekend to secure an opportunity to share the Octagon with one of those veteran names stationed ahead of him in the rankings. “If I win a split decision, I don’t think things move very well. If I submit him in the first round, I think we could be looking at a Michael Chandler or somebody ahead of me — anybody ahead of me.

“But I’m not really worried about that,” he added. “For me, it’s just about going out and performing my best. I can’t perform any better than my best, so I don’t worry about winning; I worry about performing.”

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If he performs to the best of his abilities and does manage to secure another impressive victory, “KGD” has a pretty clear picture of how he’d like his 2026 campaign to unfold.

And should he get the chance this weekend, Dawson is going to make his desires known.

“Fighting in February and then fighting again in December,” he joked. “I want as many fights as I can get. I’m gonna be hollerin’ again after the fight on the mic, I’m gonna be calling for some big names, and we’ll hopefully get three in next year.”