UFC 333: Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev Preview & Prediction
by Owen Liao ·
Two control grapplers meet to open up the UFC 333 prelims, American Top Team veteran Grant Dawson hands undefeated Tajik wrestler Nurullo Aliev his toughest test yet.
Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev facts
What time are Grant Dawson and Nurullo Aliev expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev? Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Where can I get tickets for UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 333
What TV channel is UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev main card
Alexander Volkanovski vs Movsar Evloev (Featherweight)
Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili (Bantamweight)
Lone’er Kavanagh vs Ramazan Temirov (Flyweight)
Alexander Volkov vs Rizvan Kuniev (Heavyweight)
Aaron Pico vs Losene Keita (Featherweight)
UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev prelims
Azamat Murzakanov vs Dominick Reyes (Light Heavyweight)
Nikita Krylov vs Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (Light Heavyweight)
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Cameron Rowston (Middleweight)
Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev (Lightweight)
Colby Thicknesse vs Asaf Chopurov (Bantamweight)
Abubakar Vagaev vs Jacob Malkoun (Middleweight)
Bolaji Oki vs Daniel Santos (Lightweight)
Kody Steele vs Noah Gugnon (Lightweight)
Iasmin Lucindo vs Nicolle Caliari (Women’s Strawweight)
Grant Dawson: Elite control grappler with a question over his chin
Grant Dawson (24-3-1) bounced back from a first-round TKO loss to Manuel Torres with a wild win over Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 328 in May. He was dropped in the second round before choking Rebecki out with 18 seconds remaining. It was an odd fight, it was almost as if the roles were reversed - Rebecki kept shooting for takedowns, and Dawson was far more willing to exchange than usual. Dawson is an elite control grappler with heavy top pressure and good scrambling, but the chin is a concern. Green, hardly a big puncher, knocked him out, and Torres finished him when he overcommitted on a looping overhand. Still, his UFC losses have only come against that calibre of opposition.
Nurullo Aliev: “Tajik Eagle” steps up against his most proven opponent to date
Nurullo Aliev (12-0) is 4-0 in the UFC, and every one of those wins has gone the distance. He most recently dominated veteran Mike Davis with a 30-27 sweep in July, dragging him back to the mat every time he got up. Before that, he outpointed Shem Rock and Joe Solecki, the Solecki win coming after a lengthy injury layoff. The 26-year-old is a skilled control grappler with 80% takedown defence, relentless clinch work against the fence and smothering top pressure. The issue is output. He doesn’t do much damage from top, has never scored a knockdown in the UFC, and poses little threat on the feet beyond a looping, predictable overhand.
Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev prediction
This is close to a pick em in the betting, but the difference is in the resumes. Both men have beaten Joe Solecki. The difference is that Dawson has done his best work against far more proven opposition, while the jump from Mike Davis to Dawson is a big one for Aliev. Dawson has shown his grappling holds up against high-level lightweights and that he’s comfortable in scrambles. We simply don’t know yet how Aliev handles the same against a grappler of this level.
Dawson’s chin is his weakness, but the men who exposed it, Green and Torres, carry real threat on the feet. Aliev doesn’t. Dawson does leave himself open when he swings his overhands, and he throws headkicks at range without setting them up. But Aliev is far more likely to time a takedown in those moments than punish him with a counter.
Aliev’s best path is landing an overhand of his own. It should be seen coming from a mile away though, and that’s an open invitation for Dawson to change levels and shoot. On the mat, Dawson is a bigger finishing threat, but Aliev’s grappling should be good enough to see the final bell ring. Dawson’s experience at the higher level should edge him with the scrambles and the scorecards.
Prediction: Grant Dawson to win by decision
Upcoming Events
Abubakar Vagaev vs Jacob Malkoun (UFC 333)
Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev (UFC 333)
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Cameron Rowston (UFC 333)
Nikita Krylov vs Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (UFC 333)
Azamat Murzakanov vs Dominick Reyes (UFC 333)
Aaron Pico vs Losene Keita (UFC 333)
Alexander Volkov vs Rizvan Kuniev (UFC 333)
