UFC 323’s Grant Dawson planning for a ‘safe, clean’ (boring) win against dangerous opponent – ‘Take him down, hump his leg’

Don’t expect fireworks from “KGD.”

No. 13-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight contender, Grant Dawson, returns to action against fast-rising Mexican prospect, Manuel Torres, in UFC 323’s “Featured” Prelims bout, which goes down this weekend (Sat., Dec. 6, 2025) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Outside of his lone UFC setback — a 33-second knockout loss to King Green — Dawson has been nearly flawless inside the Octagon. Still, the biggest knock on him is that he’s boring, a label that overshadows the six finishes he’s earned in the promotion to date.

Dawson doesn’t see it that way. To him, it’s not boring … it’s smart.

“If Grant Dawson gets his hand raised on December 6th, how would you say he won?” Dawson asked journalist, James Lynch, in a recent interview.

When Lynch answered “decision,” Dawson agreed.

“Take him down, hump his leg,” Dawson said. “This is not a criticism, but I’m impressed. I think his longest fight is four minutes and two seconds. That’s how dangerous this guy is. He’s live by the sword, die by the sword. Either he gets finished in the first round, or he finishes people in the first round. I would love a first round finish, but I don’t see it going that way.

“We’re planning on playing this fight super, super smart,” Dawson added. “Super, super intelligent. When I fought Bobby Green, the gameplan was more high-paced in the first round and I ended up getting caught. That is not the case in this one. We’re going to be safe, clean. I’m going to make him fight me the way I want him to fight me.”

Dawson likely won’t win over new fans with a risk-averse game plan, nor will he vault into the title picture anytime soon. But, he knows the path: keep winning until UFC can’t deny him. And with three straight victories, he’s well on his way.