MMA Preview – Leonardo Santos vs Grant Dawson at UFC Vegas 22
LEONARDO SANTOS VS GRANT DAWSON FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 22? Saturday 20th March, 2021 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 22? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 22? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 22 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 22? 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!
LEONARDO SANTOS VS GRANT DAWSON LOWDOWN
Mr ‘what could have been’ Leonardo Santos (18-3-1) walks out for his ninth UFC fight. The decorated 4th degree black belt made his name in the jiu-jitsu world and he has carried over his success into MMA but injuries have stifled any sizeable progress and at 41-years-old, you feel there is only so far he can go now. That said, he is still winning all of his fights. Despite a draw in his second UFC appearance against Norman Parke, Santos has run through everybody including a unanimous decision over Rocco Martin and knockouts over Kevin Lee and Stevie Ray. He is coming off another unanimous decision, but he had to work very hard for it with Roman Bogatov helping him out getting a point deducted for a few fouls.
Grant Dawson (16-1) has also struggled to fulfil his enormous potential, but he is still 27 years old and has time on his hands. He has not lost since 2016 and he is riding a seven-fight win streak including four UFC fights. He does not have the accolades as Santos, but he has also made light work of his opponents choking them out at will. He submitted Michael Trizano and fellow submission ace Darrick Minner and is coming off a unanimous decision over Nad Narimani.
LEONARDO SANTOS VS GRANT DAWSON PREDICTION
With 20 submissions between them, many would like to see a grappling contest. However, as good as Dawson is, Santos is levels above and it will not be as competitive as people think. Santos also has knockout power in his hands so he will be dangerous wherever the fight goes.
That said, we are backing Dawson to break the Brazilian’s 13-fight win streak. Santos gassed out badly in his last fight with Bogatov and if he tires like that here, Dawson will eat him up.
Dawson is also moving up to lightweight which should make a difference in the grappling and striking exchanges. His extra size and wrestling should help him fend off any takedowns and get through the first two rounds where he will be the fresher man and capitalize to get the win and depending on how tired Santos gets, he could even pick up a shock submission.
Prediction: Dawson via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Dawson via Submission
