Grant Dawson is not trying to hide from the stakes at UFC 328. The American Top Team lightweight will face Mateusz Rębecki on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, in a matchup that carries major stakes for both men at 155 pounds. Dawson enters with a 23-3-1 record, while Rębecki comes in at 20-4, and each has spent time building momentum in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions.
Grant Dawson Talks Mateusz Rębecki at UFC 328
In a recent exclusive interview with Mike Owens of LowKick MMA, Dawson framed the fight in simple terms. He wants people to leave with a different view of him. He said:
“‘Grant Dawson is better than we thought he was.’ That’s it. Fans are up and down on you all the time. I want people to say, “Alright, let’s give this guy a big name and see how he does.” I’ve dropped the ball a couple of times — that’s on me — but I still feel like I haven’t gotten my real opportunity yet. I want the chance to show people, and myself, how good I really am.”
Dawson has put together strong wins in the UFC, including victories over Damir Ismagulov, Jared Gordon, Carlos Diego Ferreira, Rafa Garcia, and Joe Solecki. He also beat Diego Ferreira by unanimous decision at UFC 311 in January 2025. At the same time, his losses have shaped how fans view him, especially the quick knockout defeat to Bobby Green in 2023 and the stoppage loss to Manuel Torres in his most recent setback.
Dawson did not avoid that part of the story. He spoke openly about criticism around his durability and said he understands why some fans focus on it. He noted that every one of his losses has come by knockout, while also pointing out that no one has beaten him by grinding him out over a full fight. That self-awareness has pushed him to adjust his preparation. Dawson said he has changed his sparring habits during camp and is doing more hard rounds than before because he believes there has to be a balance between protecting the body and being ready for fight night.
“Yeah, they call me “Glass Jaw,” which is actually hilarious. I see the comments and let them roll off my shoulders. But they’re not wrong in one sense. I’ve only ever lost by knockout. Nobody’s ever out-grinded me, submitted me, or made me look stupid over the course of a fight. The only times I’ve lost, I’ve gotten clipped. So maybe there’s something to it. But Justin Gaethje’s been knocked out more times than I have. A lot of guys have. It’s part of the game.”
The matchup with Rębecki adds another layer. The two have trained together in the past through ATT ties, though Rębecki has remained in Poland for this camp, a decision Dawson said made sense. He expects a hard fight, not a cautious one. In another interview, Dawson described Rębecki as the kind of fighter who keeps pressing no matter the score.
“A war. I’m expecting him not to take a backward step. I’m expecting him to be very difficult to take down, very difficult to keep down. I’m going to try, but it’s going to be hard. I think we’ve got good training partners for this guy, and I think we’ve got a really good game plan for him. I’m expecting a war, but I’ve expected wars before and made them look easy, and I’ve expected easy fights that were not easy. At the end of the day, you just go and fight.”
The Polish lightweight Rębecki has built a reputation for fast-paced fights and has earned multiple post-fight bonuses in the UFC. He has wins over Loik Radzhabov, Myktybek Orolbai, and others, and his style usually forces exchanges. Dawson, by contrast, has long leaned on wrestling and control, with 13 submission wins on his record and a track record of dictating fights when he can establish takedowns.
There is a reason Dawson sees UFC 328 as more than a rebound fight. He said a close decision win might not change much, but a finish could. In his view, that kind of result would move him back toward the Top 15 and put him in range of the bigger names he believes he has not yet had the chance to face.
“If I win a split decision in a war, maybe it doesn’t look that great for me. But if I can finish this guy, I think it does a lot for me. Chris Duncan couldn’t finish him. He’s beaten good guys, and not many people have been able to put him away. If I can get a win and a finish over this guy, I think it puts me back close to the Top 15, maybe sets up a Top 15 fight next. But right now, a loss is much worse than a win is good, so I just want to get back in the win column and start building a streak again.“
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