DAWSON: ALIEV WILL BE BETTER THAN ME ONE DAY — JUST NOT AT UFC 333
“There will be a Saturday where he's a better fighter than I am.”
Grant Dawson faces unbeaten Nurullo Aliev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, and he says he is glad this fight happens now, not in three years.
Grant Dawson is not pretending. He told MMA Junkie Radio that Nurullo Aliev is very talented, and that one day Aliev may pass him.
His point was the timing. Dawson does not believe that day is Oct. 24 at UFC 333 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Another Unbeaten Test
Dawson (24-3-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) meets Aliev (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a lightweight bout on Paramount+.
Dawson most recently submitted Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 328. Even with that record, he said marquee names have been hard to land.
Instead, he keeps drawing rising prospects. Aliev is the latest one, young and unbeaten.
"There will be a Saturday where he's a better fighter than I am."
Dawson added that a big win still helps him. If Aliev goes on to a strong UFC career, beating him early will look better every year.
Holes In The Wrestling
Aliev has built his run on wrestling control. Dawson thinks he can test that wrestling in a way Aliev has not felt yet.
He pointed to Aliev's fight with Joe Solecki. Dawson recalled grappling with Solecki himself, and he believes there are holes if Aliev gets taken down.
This is not new ground for Dawson either — he said Aliev will be his fourth UFC-unbeaten opponent, and he is unbeaten against all of them.
Plan B Is A Fight
Dawson knows the grappling could cancel out. If it does, he said the backup plan is simple: bite down and see who is tougher.
He plans to start a little less aggressive than usual. Both men will hunt takedowns, and the first round could decide who dictates the fight.
So is Dawson catching Aliev at exactly the right time — or is the unbeaten prospect already better than he thinks?
