LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 12: (RL) Grant Dawson kicks Rafa Garcia in a lightweight bout at the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
On Saturday, lightweights Grant Dawson and Rafa Garcia meet on the main card of UFC Vegas 98, with both men looking to build or extend decent win streaks.
Dawson was looking for his second consecutive win with a come-from-behind victory over Joe Solecki, but Garcia started the night with back-to-back wins. Most recently, he won a decision over veteran and fan favorite Clay Guida. But that happened more than a year ago, in April 2023, with extended layoffs added as possible ongoing difficulties.
The fight started with a brief period of emotion as both men tried to find distance. Dawson landed several kicks and hooks on his opponent before landing a single shot about a minute into the round. Garcia was able to stand briefly, but Dawson pulled him down seconds later. With his opponent in full guard, Dawson unleashed a hail of hammer fists, landing short blows to the body. Midway through the round, Grant slipped through his guard and began delivering powerful blows to his opponent’s head. With a minute left in the round, Dawson continued to attack as Garcia was unable to make a comeback and lost what was arguably a lopsided round.
To start the second round, Grant returned to kicking, mixing in teeps, spinning kicks, and knees. As both men traded punches, Dawson missed a wild overhand but was able to use it to score another single leg takedown. Dawson returned to his opponent’s full guard and went back to landing ground and pound. This time Dawson started dropping elbows, one of which cut Rafa badly above the eye. Dawson continued to attack as his opponent leaked blood and lay face down, desperately trying to cover it up. The referees intervened shortly after, as Garcia was unable to reach base and was sustaining significant damage.
After the match that thrilled the APEX crowd, Dawson gave an intense post-match interview. Grant gave a shoutout to his team and wife and boldly predicted that he would be a future UFC champion.
Official result: Grant Dawson def. Rafa Garcia, TKO, round 2, 1:42
