Featherweights
NR | Grant Dawson (14-1) vs. NR | Darrick Minner (24-10)ODDS: Dawson (-420), Minner (+335)
Dawson is certainly a featherweight prospect to watch, but it has been a struggle for him to get inside the cage. He has been dealing with the same “pulsing” issues that have plagued Jon Jones, and as it turns out, Dawson does not carry the priority the light heavyweight champ does when it comes to getting booked. After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, it took Dawson a year and a half to make his UFC debut, but he made up for lost time, handed Julian Erosa a one-sided loss and then tapped out Michael Trizano some two months later. Dawson’s game is fairly clear at the moment: He is willing to throw power on the feet but is extremely hittable, and he is at his best when he can start scrambling and setting a relentless pace on the mat.
A newcomer and late replacement, Minner does not figure to be the man to exploit Dawson’s flaws, but he should make this an entertaining scrap. Minner figured to be on the UFC’s radar after his bout on DWCS, where he was absolutely fearless and gave Herbert Burns all he could handle before succumbing to a triangle choke. It should be a similar story here.
Minner figures to come out guns blazing and could crack Dawson in the process. However, the likelier scenario sees that Dawson gets his grappling game going and Minner is more than willing to oblige. The pick is Dawson via first-round submission.
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