Grant Dawson and Carlos Diego Ferreira, UFC 311 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
At UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Saturday, lightweight action began on a televised preliminary card as Grant Dawson took on Carlos Diego Ferreira.
At 40 years old, Diego Ferreira was still finding success inside the cage with back-to-back wins over Michael Johnson and Mateusz Rebecki. Dawson, who is 10 years younger than him, also won two consecutive games from the start.
Both men went out in an orthodox stance, and Dawson hit a wheel kick that partially connected. Dawson pressed forward and got a takedown with a shot around three minutes into the opening round. Ferreira tried to get to his feet, but Dawson took full control with a bodylock on the fence. Dawson landed a head kick while holding Ferreira’s legs and landed a clean shot while attempting another takedown. Dawson scored three takedowns on five tries in the first five minutes.
Ferreira showed little offense in the first round, but appeared to turn the tide in the second round. Immediately Ferreira charged forward and threw a wild hook to Dawson’s head. Both fighters traded blows against the fence before Ferreira was briefly able to get to the ground. Dawson reversed positions and went on top in full guard. Maintaining top control, Dawson was able to swing the round in his favor with short elbows and light punches.
Shortly after the start of the third, both fighters collided for a takedown, leading to a brief grapple before Dawson came out on top. Once again, the match was slammed to the mat in full guard and Dawson delivered a small hammer fist. Referee Frank Trigg resisted the fight and Dawson was knocked down with a big right hand. Ferreira got back to his feet and fought back, with each fighter landing heavy punches. Dawson dug deep and scored another takedown, dumping the longtime UFC veteran onto his back. Dawson showed great control throughout the contest and remained in the lead until the final bell rang.
As the match dragged on, Dawson earned a unanimous decision victory on all three judges’ scorecards. Dawson’s only loss was to Bobby Green in 2023, but the young prospect has bounced back since then with three straight wins. After Dariush was removed from the UFC 311 card due to main event changes, Dawson respectfully called for a fight with another UFC veteran in Beneil Dariush. Dawson, who hopes to compete in Florida later this spring, could crack the top 15 soon.
Official result: Grant Dawson def. Carlos Diego Ferreira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
