UFC on ESPN 48 post-event facts: Grant Dawson’s numbers show title trajectory
The UFC’s loaded July schedule got off to a hot start on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 48, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and featured six stoppages out of 12 fights.
One of those finishes came in the main event, when Sean Strickland (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) held serve as a top middleweight when he turned back Abus Magomedov (25-5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO before calling for a title shot.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check out MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 48.
Event stats
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $144,500.
Debuting fighters went 1-2 at the event.
Strickland, Nursulton Ruziboev, Elves Brener and Guram Kutateladze earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 47 fight-night bonuses.
The UFC sold VIP tickets to fans for UFC on ESPN 47, but the promotion did not make public the total number of tickets sold or the gate.
Betting favorites went 6-6 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 14-8 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:02:31.
Sean Strickland def. Abus Magomedov
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Strickland improved to 5-2 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in October 2020.
Strickland earned just the second fight-night bonus of his UFC career. The other came in November 2020.
Magomedov has suffered four of his five career losses by stoppage.
Grant Dawson def. Damir Ismagulov
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Grant Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) improved to 4-0-1 since he moved up to the UFC lightweight division in March 2020.
Dawson become the 23rd fighter in UFC history to record a nine-fight unbeaten streak. Only four fighters in that group have failed to win an interim or undisputed UFC title.
Dawson’s nine-fight UFC unbeaten streak is tied for the third-longest among active fighters in the company behind Islam Makhachev (12) and Leon Edwards (11).
Dawson’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak in lightweight competition is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Makhachev (11).
Damir Ismagulov (24-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.
Michael Morales def. Max Griffin
Max Griffin (18-10 MMA, 7-8 UFC) has suffered nine of his 10 career losses by decision.
Ariane Lipski def. Melissa Gatto
Ariane Lipski (16-8 MMA, 5-5 UFC) has earned four of her five UFC victories by decision.
Melissa Gatto (8-2-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career on 10-fight unbeaten streak.
Gatto has suffered both of her career losses by decision.
Benoit Saint-Denis def. Israel Bonfim
Benoit Saint-Denis (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned all 11 of his career victories by stoppage.
Ismael Bonfim (19-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by submission.
Nursulton Ruziboev def. Brunno Ferreira
Ruziboev (35-8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned 33 of his 35 career victories by stoppage.
Brunno Ferreira (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his 10-fight UFC winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Kevin Lee
Rinat Fakhretdinov (21-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) extended his winning streak to 20 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since June 2013.
Fakhretdinov has earned 17 of his 21 career victories by stoppage.
Kevin Lee (19-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC) was unsuccessful in his return to the UFC for a second stint.
Lee fell to 1-3 in welterweight competition.
Lee has suffered five of his eight career losses by stoppage.
Joanderson Brito def. Westin Wilson
Joanderson Brito (15-3-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned 13 of his 15 career victories by stoppage.
Westin Wilson (16-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered six of his eight career losses by stoppage.
Karol Rosa def. Yana Santos
Karol Rosa (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has earned all six of her UFC victories by decision.
Yana Santos’ (14-8 MMA, 4-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since February 2021.
Santos has suffered four of her five UFC losses by knockout.
Elves Brener def. Guram Kutateladze
Brener (15-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned 13 of his 15 career victories by stoppage.
Kutateladze (12-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Luana Carolina def. Ivana Petrovic
Luana Carolina (9-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
Ivana Petrovic (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has her six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.
Alexandr Romanov def. Blagoy Ivanov
Blagoy Ivanov (19-6 MMA, 3-5 UFC) has suffered all five of his UFC losses by decision.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
