The UFC Vegas 98 Main Card continues to roll as we're ready to bring you another betting prediction and pick for this next bout in the Lightweight (155) Division. American Top Team's Grant Dawson will square-off against Mexico's Rafa Garcia in a fight that's sure to be a banger from start to finish! We continue our UFC odds series with a Dawson-Garcia prediction and pick.

Grant Dawson (21-2-1) has gone an impressive 9-1-1 since joining the UFC in 2019. He's gone 4-1 in his last five fights while notching two submission finishes and two unanimous decisions. He most recently beat Joe Solecki unanimously and will look to carry that momentum into this matchup as the heavy betting favorite. Dawson stands 5'10” with a 72-inch reach.

Rafa Garcia (16-3) has gone 4-3 inside the UFC since 2021. After a few early losses, he too has gone 4-1 in his last five fights and rides a streak of two unanimous decision wins heading into this one. He's been the underdog in previous fights and will improve his stock greatly if he can come up with this upset. Garcia stands 5'7″ with a 70-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Vegas 98 Odds, courtesy of ESPN Bet. 

UFC Vegas 98 Odds: Grant Dawson-Rafa Garcia Odds

Grant Dawson: -425

Rafa Garcia: +330

Over 2.5 rounds: -270

Under 2.5 rounds: +200

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Why Grant Dawson Will Win

Prior to his loss against Bobby Green, Grant Dawson rode a very impressive eight-fight winning streak that ranked among the best in the sport. He bounced back nicely in his following fight as he controlling both the striking and grappling exchanges against a game opponent in Joe Solecki. He's the more technical fighter opposite of his opponent and has better techniques throughout his grappling and striking. He can't underestimate the power, however, so keeping a safe distance from which to work will be a defensive key for Dawson throughout this one.

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Grant Dawson is a very skilled grappler, but he'll have a tough test in taking down Rafa Garcia who is very solid in his own right. Still, Dawson should have the better technique on the feet and he does a great job at limiting the offensive bursts from opponents. Expect him to tie Garcia up in the clinch on occasion as he tries to work his short shots from there. Dawson can stand to finish this fight if he's able to find favorable position on the ground.

Why Rafa Garcia Will Win

Rafa Garcia is seriously being overlooked on the betting lines as he poses a great underdog threat with his vicious striking and very sound defensive grappling. He hits like a truck and can easily sit any opponent down if he's able to land cleanly. Still, he'll have to remain focused on his target and avoid making mistakes that could give Dawson a chance to advance positions. He'll need to be smart and defensively conscious of not letting Dawson bring this fight to the ground.

For how experienced Rafa Garcia is as a wrestler, he could stand to do some damage from there with eight of his wins coming by way of submission. However, his best chance against Dawson may come on the feet as both men are very adept at avoiding submission losses. Garcia is the much more powerful striker and working behind a 79% takedown defense, he could be the one dictating where this fight takes place.

Final Grant Dawson-Rafa Garcia Prediction & Pick

This fight is a certified banger on the UFC Vegas 98 Main Card and both fighters will be hot after their most recent wins. Both men have combined for 21 total submission wins in their careers and we could see a high-level matchup on the ground. However, we've often seen fights like this play out on the feet as the two ground games will cancel each other out with both fighters recognizing the skill of their opponent.

On the feet, Rafa Garcia holds more power and serves as the bigger knockout threat here. However, Dawson's striking defense is very solid and he's not likely to take too many chances on the feet without being conservative first. This may come down to the clinches along the fence and who can mount the more sustainable offense from there.

For our final prediction, we have to side with Grant Dawson to get the win, although this betting line should be closer than it is. Rafa Garcia is a serious threat on the feet and on the ground, so expect Dawson to play it safe throughout this one. Still, we like his offensive skillset and ability to close the distance with his grappling, so we'll side with the favorite and the over in this one.

Final Grant Dawson-Rafa Garcia Prediction & Pick: Grant Dawson (-425); OVER 2.5 Rounds (-270)