Grant
Dawson will replace Rafael
Alves and lock horns with Jared
Gordon in a lightweight scrap at UFC
on ESPN 35.
mixedmartialarts.com was first to report the new booking. A
reason for Alves’ withdrawal was not disclosed. UFC on ESPN 35
takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 30 and is
headlined by a bantamweight duel pitting Rob Font
against Marlon
Vera.
After earning a contract on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender
Series, Dawson was victorious in his first five promotional
appearances before battling Ricky Glenn
to a majority draw in his sixth outing at UFC Fight Night 196 this
past October. The Glory MMA & Fitness representative is 2-0-1 at
lightweight after beginning his UFC tenure at 145 pounds. He owns a
career mark of 17-1-1.
Gordon, 33, has been victorious in his last three UFC appearances.
Most recently, the Renzo Gracie
Jiu-Jitsu product earned a split verdict against Joe Solecki
at UFC Fight Night 193 this past October. “Flash” is 6-3 in the
Octagon and 18-4 as a professional overall.