Grant Dawson Wins Unanimous Decision Over Nurullo Aliev at UFC 333
Grant Dawson defeated undefeated lightweight Nurullo Aliev by unanimous decision on the preliminary card of UFC 333 on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. All three judges scored the bout 29-27 for Dawson after three full rounds.
Dawson entered the fight with a 24-3-1 professional record and a 12-2-1 mark in the UFC. Aliev arrived at 12-0 overall and 4-0 inside the promotion, having won all four of his Octagon appearances by decision. The American was a slight betting favorite against the rising Tajikistan prospect known as the “Tajik Eagle.”
The fight featured heavy grappling exchanges from the opening bell. Dawson secured three of five takedown attempts and attempted one submission, while Aliev landed one of two takedowns. Dawson outlanded Aliev in total strikes 85 to 79 and in significant strikes 65 to 51, according to official statistics. Neither fighter scored a knockdown.
Dawson controlled periods of top position and worked ground-and-pound and elbows from half guard and mount. Aliev reversed positions at times and pressed forward with strikes when the fight returned to the feet, landing cleaner shots in bursts. In the first round, Dawson locked up a guillotine attempt near the bell. Both men grew fatigued late, with Dawson maintaining activity on the ground in the final frame.
The result improves Dawson to 25-3-1 overall and 13-2-1 in the UFC. It is his second consecutive win after submitting Mateusz Rebecki with a rear-naked choke in the third round at UFC 328 in May. Aliev drops to 12-1 and 4-1 in the promotion, suffering his first professional loss after a run of decision victories that included a unanimous decision over Mike Davis in July.
Dawson, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has long relied on wrestling and submissions to control fights. He acknowledged before the bout that Aliev’s grappling presented a real threat and said he welcomed the wrestling exchanges. Aliev, who fights out of Dushanbe, has built his UFC record almost entirely on the scorecards, with 10 of his 12 career wins coming by decision.
The unanimous 29-27 scorecards reflected Dawson’s edge in control time and output across the three rounds. Media observers who tracked the bout also scored it for Dawson. The lightweight division continues to feature a deep field of wrestlers and decision fighters on the undercard of major events.
Dawson will look to build on the decision win when the UFC books his next opponent. Aliev returns to the drawing board after a competitive first loss that tested his wrestling against a more experienced grappler. UFC 333 continues in Abu Dhabi with additional preliminary bouts and two title fights still ahead on the main card.
