The time has come and UFC Vegas 76: Strickland vs. Magomedov will see it's Co-Main Event of the night in the Lightweight (155 lb) Division as ranked contenders square off in a high-stakes bout. No. 12 ranked Damir Ismagulov of Kazakhstan will take on American Top Team's No. 15 ranked Grant Dawson. The winner could see a top-7 opponent in the near future. Check out our UFC odds series for our Ismagulov-Dawson prediction and pick.

Damir Ismagulov is 24-2 as a mixed martial artist and has gone 5-1 since joining the UFC. He's a former 10-1 M1 Global champion and has been a model of consistency during his stint with the UFC. Ismagulov won his first five UFC fights and notched notable wins over Thiago Moises, Rafael Alves, and Guram Kutateladze. He was halted in his last fight by Arman Tsarukyan in a unanimous loss but will be in a great spot to bounce back against Dawson. Ismagulov stands 5'10” with a 74-inch reach.

Grant Dawson is 19-1-1 as an MMA fighter and is still undefeated in the UFC at 7-0-1 since winning a contract on DWCS. The lone blemish on his record is a Majority Decision Draw against Ricky Glenn that really could have been scored either way. Besides that, Dawson has made quick work of the bottom of the division and notched his most notable wins in the last two fights against Jared Gordon and Mark Madsen. Both of those fights were finished by rear naked choke as Dawson continues to show he's nothing to be messed with on the ground. He stands 5'10” with a 72-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC Vegas 76 Odds: Damir Ismagulov-Grant Dawson Odds

Damir Ismagulov: -110

Grant Dawson: -110

Over 2.5 rounds: -240

Under 2.5 rounds: +184

How to Watch Damir Ismagulov vs. Grant Dawson

TV: ESPN

Stream: ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, fuboTV

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Damir Ismagulov Will Win

Damir Ismagulov has been one of the more consistent fighters in the lightweight division in terms of knowing exactly how he's going to come out each time. He keeps his boxing guard very high and uses constant head movement to slip punches and get in close to his opponents. He pressures forward and sticks his lead-jab out almost each time. His hands aren't necessarily the fastest, but he puts together very crisp boxing combinations and lands at a high rate. Over the course of three rounds, Ismagulov slowly works his striking to open up the wrestling and drag his opponent into deep waters.

Ismagulov may not feel as safe on the ground against a submission artist like Dawson, so it'll be important for him to be the more aggressive fighter in the clinch. He gives up some strength to Grant Dawson, so it'll take more than grappling in the clinch for Ismagulov to make a difference – look for him to land big shots to the body and use his elbows to damage Dawson early. If he can keep the fight at his comfortable pace and establish takedown success early, we could see Ismagulov point-fight his way to a decision.

Why Grant Dawson Will Win

Grant Dawson has shown that he's a different breed of grappler on the ground and continues to prove that many fighters can't hang with him there. He stamped his ticket to the UFC with a rear naked choke on DWCS. Since then, Dawson has won with a RNC in four of his UFC fights including two back-to-back in his most recent bouts. While none of his previous opponents may have the same ground skill as Ismagulov, Dawson still feels supremely confident in his abilities and believes that he can sink his favorite choke in against anyone. On the feet, Dawson is still coming along as a striker but seems to be getting better each time out.

To win this fight, Dawson will have to figure Ismagulov out on the feet and wait patiently for an opening. Ismagulov has been rocked in the past and doesn't always react to clean shots well, so the perfect shot from Dawson could sit him down if he's not careful. From there, Dawson is likely to hop on the back and look for his patented choke. He's much better on the ground than some of Ismagulov's previous opponents, so look for him to get back to his feet if he's not successful down there. Dawson will be very measured knowing he has a great camp and team of coaches behind him.

Final Damir Ismagulov-Grant Dawson Prediction & Pick

This fight will be very evenly matched and the odds makers have it close to a pick'em, with the slight edge going to Ismagulov. If Ismagulov can go out there, stick his jab, land some takedowns, and sit in top control, he'll have a great chance to win this fight. He's also never been submitted in his career and will be able to negate Dawson's grappling on the ground. However, he's already got his sights set on a fight with Justin Gaethje and could be overlooking Dawson as a serious threat. For the prediction, let's go with Grant Dawson as he fights more aggressively on Saturday.

Final Damir Ismagulov-Grant Dawson Prediction & Pick: Grant Dawson (-110)