He’ll need to be awesome to make that statement when he runs into perennial danger Chas Skelly, a fighter Dawson holds in higher regard than most other featherweights.
“I think I match up great against Chas. I do have a lot of respect for him, and there’s not a whole lot of people I do respect. But I do respect what he’s done. His only losses are to really good guys and Bobby Moffett. But I just think with his experience level and how much people know him, a win over him really shoots me at the top of the up-and-comers list. I’m really excited to put on a good show.”
A “good show” is almost inevitable with Dawson, who was last spotted in the Octagon submitting the previously undefeated Michael Trizano at 2019’s UFC Rochester event. The win over Trizano put Dawson back in his comfort zone, back to his well-earned reputation as a finisher of fights. Over the course of 14 professional wins, only one, his UFC debut against Julian Erosa last March, went to the judge’s scorecards. Even in victory, that stat still eats at him.
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“I don’t get paid for overtime. Careers can be long or short. The faster you get in, get on and get off, the better. So being able to pick up a finish against a really good guy, a guy who won The Ultimate Fighter, who’s undefeated, and not just beat him, but finish him? That was really big for me and it really pushed me in the right direction. It also just built my confidence even more.”