The UFC’s lightweight division has a plethora of high-level fighters. After all, the champion, Islam Makhachev, is the pound-for-pound king in the UFC. In the American Top Team alone, lightweight fighters like Dustin Poirier, Mateusz Gamrot, Arman Tsarukyan, Grant Dawson, and others are among the best. As such, ATT coach Mike Brown predicted a future champion in the division.
Right now, Makhachev has looked unbeatable. Even former opponents Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski have envisioned a long reign for Makhachev. Nonetheless, Brown hopes Poirier, his pupil, will upset the odds at UFC 302 by knocking out the Dagestani fighter. Interestingly, Brown also thinks one of the fighters on the undercard of the PPV has the potential to become a future lightweight champion.
Grant [Dawson] has made giant leaps while he’s been here, and I’m excited to see him show off some of his new skills next week. He’s a monster and has the ability to be a champion.
Mike Brown via UFC 302 Embedded
Grant Dawson has a fight in the preliminary card UFC 302 against Joe Solecki. He was in the rankings but lost it after his first-round loss to Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 80. Against Solecki, Dawson expects a grappling contest with him using his wrestling and Solecki using BJJ. Solecki is coming off a slam KO loss to Drakkar Klose at UFC Austin.
Mike Brown has envisioned championship glory for Dawson. However, he has also stated that Gamrot or Tsarukyan are closer to a title shot than Dawson. Brown is not the head coach of Tsaryukyan but is of Gamrot, who will be in the corner of Poirier at UFC 302.
Grant Dawson predicts winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier has not won an undisputed title but is one of the best lightweight MMA fighters. Poirier previous two attempts at undisputed glory fell short at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.
Grant Dawson, Mike Brown, and Dustin Poirier (Image via: IMAGO)One fighter privy to Poirier’s training camp is his teammate, Grant Dawson. Like Makhachev, Dawson’s fighting style is grappling-heavy. He recently previewed Makhachev vs.Poirier in his interview with InsideFighting.
If there’s a guy that can do it [beat Islam Makhachev], it would be the guy that doesn’t get tired, has cr*zy power in his hands, and has a ridiculously good guillotine. And Dustin’s [Poirier] got all three. Man, I’m not saying that Islam can’t beat him, but if I was going to handpick a guy to beat somebody like Islam, they would have those three things: cr*zy good guillotine, cr*zy good cardio, and cr*zy good power. Dustin’s got all three.
Grant Dawson via InsideFighting
Dawson even stated Poirier had caught himself in a guillotine choke during practice. Poirier has never won a fight via guillotine choke, though he is a Black belt in BJJ. Poirier agonizingly came close with it against Khabib Nurmagomedov before the Russian submitted him with a rear naked choke.
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