MMA Preview – Damir Ismagulov vs Grant Dawson at UFC on ESPN 48
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DAMIR ISMAGULOV VS GRANT DAWSON FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 48? Saturday 1st July, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 48? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 48? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC on ESPN 48 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 48? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
DAMIR ISMAGULOV VS GRANT DAWSON LOWDOWN
Damir Ismagulov (24-2) finally got his colossal streak snapped and it took someone of the calibre of Arman Tsarukyan (2022) to do it. He had won 19 on the bounce including five decisions inside the octagon – Alex Gorgees (2018), Joel Alvarez (2019), Thiago Moises (2019), Rafael Alves (2021) and Guram Kutateladze (2022). Now he returns to start another run.
Grant Dawson (19-1-1) has been busy building his own streak and is currently 11 fights unbeaten including eight UFC bouts. He kicked off his UFC career with a decision over Julian Erosa (2019) and went on to submit Mike Trizano (2019), Darrick Minner (2020), outpoint Nad Narimani (2020) and knock out Leonardo Santos (2021). He then fought to a draw with Ricky Glenn (2021) and is now coming off two more submissions over Jared Gordon and Mark Madsen last year.
DAMIR ISMAGULOV VS GRANT DAWSON PREDICTION
Both fighters have not been as active as we would like, but the main concern is that Ismagulov retired after his last fight. He has decided to appear once more to honour his contract, but if you are already half checked-out, Dawson is not the man you want to fight.
It is a shame as the Russian is incredibly skilled and is only 32 years old. Despite injuries, he still has more to offer, so we wonder how motivated he is. He has a clear striking advantage and his takedown defence is top tier, so a motivated Ismagulov should get this done on paper.
However, Dawson is on a hot streak and is as hungry as ever. He is relentless with his takedowns and will apply the same pressure Tsarukyan did to beat him. Dawson is not as technical as Tsarukyan, but he is strong and will keep up the pace.
Last year, we would back Ismagulov to keep the fight on the feet and dominate Dawson on the feet. However, he is coming off a loss and ready to hang up the gloves. We are still going to back the former M-1 champ, but his motivation is a worry.
Prediction: Ismagulov via Decision
