Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev: UFC 333 lightweight preview
American grappler Grant Dawson faces unbeaten Tajik wrestler Nurullo Aliev, who won at Etihad Arena in July.
Grant Dawson and Nurullo Aliev meet at lightweight on the UFC 333 prelims at Etihad Arena on Saturday 24 October. It is a grappler against a wrestler, with Aliev's unbeaten record on the line.
Dawson, 32, is an American known as "KGD" with a 24-3-1 record. He beat Carlos Diego Ferreira on all three cards at UFC 311 in January 2025, then was stopped by Manuel Torres in the first round at UFC 323 that December. He bounced back at UFC 328 in May, surviving a knockdown to submit Mateusz Rebecki with a rear-naked choke at 4:42 of the third round, his 14th career submission according to Cageside Press.
Aliev is from Tajikistan, was born in October 1999 and is 12-0. All four of his UFC wins have gone to the judges, including Joe Solecki in January 2025 and Shem Rock at UFC Qatar in November 2025.
His most recent fight was in this arena. On 25 July at Etihad Arena he beat Mike Davis 30-27 on all three cards, landing 8 of 13 takedown attempts, according to RotoWire.
Both of Dawson's UFC defeats have come by knockout, and Aliev is not known as a big puncher, so the fight is likely to be decided on the mat. Dawson's back-taking against Aliev's takedowns and top control is the matchup to watch.
UFC 333: Volkanovski vs EvloevSat 24 Oct · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: UFC.com, Cageside Press, RotoWire: Grant Dawson, RotoWire: Nurullo Aliev, AgentMMA
