UFC 302: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier continues on the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between Grant Dawson and Joe Solecki. Rowe suffered his second defeat inside the octagon via a split decision his last time out meanwhile, Matthews is coming off a unanimous decision loss his last time out. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Rowe-Matthews prediction and pick.
Grant Dawson (20-2-1) is coming off his first loss of his UFC career when he was knocked out by Bobby Green just 33 seconds into round one. Leading up to his fight with Bobby Green, Dawson was 8-0-1 with his only blemish being a draw against Ricky Glenn. Now, Dawson will be looking to get back to his winning ways when he takes on Joe Solecki this weekend at UFC 302.
Joe Solecki (13-4) was brutally slammed in round one by Drakkar Klose for the TKO loss which was his first loss since a 2021 split-decision defeat to Jared Gordon. Solecki will be hoping to bounce back when he takes on Grant Dawson this weekend at the Prudential Center.
Here are the UFC 302 Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 92 Odds: Grant Dawson-Joe Solecki Odds
Grant Dawson: -550
Joe Solecki: +400
Over 2.5 rounds: -200
Under 2.5 rounds: +160
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Why Grant Dawson Will Win
Grant Dawson suffered his first defeat inside the Octagon and only his second knockout loss at the hands of Bobby Green in his last fight. Before that loss, Dawson was on an 8-0-1 run that saw his lone blemish be a draw against Ricky Glenn. Now, Dawson is back inside the Octagon after 8 months on the shelf when he takes on fellow grappler Joe Solecki this weekend at UFC 302.
Dawson came into his UFC career mainly a grappler with some decent striking and while he did get knocked out in his last fight against Bobby Green, his striking has certainly gotten better as the fights have gone on. His move to American Top Team in Coconut Creek has helped him level up in the areas that he needed the most help in which should bode well with his chances against Joe Solecki in this matchup. Like Dawson, Solecki is a grappler at heart and he’s going to want to do just that in this matchup, and while Dawson may not be a world-beater on the feet he has a distinct advantage there. If Dawson keeps this fight upright he can outstrike or potentially finish Solecki and get back on track.
Why Joe Solecki Will Win
Joe Solecki was riding a two-fight winning streak into a fight against Drakkar Klose in his last fight. However, Solecki was brutally slammed into next Tuesday by Klose after a failed attempt at an armbar suffering only his second defeat in his UFC career. Solecki will be looking to bounce back when he takes on Grant Dawson this weekend at the Prudential Center.
Joe Solecki is a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trains at Gym-O with fighters like Bryan Barberena and John Salter. He brings that same hard-nosed toughness two to every fight he has inside the Octagon and this fight will be no different when he takes on Dawson. While Solecki knows that Dawson is a very good grappler in his own right, his best chance of getting this win is taking him down and getting to his back to dominate from there.
Solecki isn’t a slouch on the feet but he’s better suited when he is dominating his opponent from top control and this will be no different. If Solecki can avoid having a kickboxing match with 4 Oz gloves against Dawson and utilize his grappling he has a shot at scoring the massive upset and get back on track this weekend.
Final Grant Dawson-Joe Solecki Prediction & Pick
This should be a closely contested fight between these two lightweight contenders. However, while these two have a similar style of fighting, Dawson is just a bit better everywhere this fight takes place. Knowing that these two would like to grapple, there is a chance that we see these two stand and trade on their feet rather than elect to grapple. Ultimately, if either of these two elects to grapple it will be Solecki initiating it but it will be Dawson who will fend off the takedowns and get the better of the exchanges en route to a unanimous decision victory and get back on track this weekend.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Grant Dawson-Joe Solecki Prediction & Pick: Grant Dawson (-550), Over 2.5 Rounds (-200)
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