Grant Dawson is aiming to go from prospect to contender when he faces what looks to be his sternest test to date. After spending the majority of his UFC run at 145 pounds, Dawson (16-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will make his lightweight debut against undefeated Leonardo Santos at a UFC Fight Night event on March 20, where he’ll look to move one step closer to the rankings. The 26-year-old Glory MMA & Fitness fighter is 4-0 in the UFC since graduating from Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017 and has only gone the distance twice in his 16 pro wins. In Santos (18-3-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC), Dawson faces an experienced lightweight who holds notable wins over the likes of former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee, and that’s exactly the kind of challenge he seeks at this point in his career. “Moving up, they didn’t give me an easy one, and that’s what I wanted,” Dawson told MMA Junkie. “I wanted somebody that was going to put my name out there and put me in line to then get a ranked guy, and Leonardo Santos is the guy
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Grant Dawson: Great performance over Leonardo Santos puts my name on the map – MMA Junkie