ROund 8 was definitely close - but Dawson fought better on the inside this round. He started using a few uppercuts as well. I have it all even after 8 rounds.
He can't knock Johnson out. He needs to box if he wants to win this fight. Johnson is walking him down and looking for that one BIG shot.
Rd 8: Johnson dusts off his jab to good effect in the first minute, but his output drops late in the round, and he gets tagged with a fantastic uppercut by Dawson that looks like it was thrown from an orthodox stance. Late bodywork from Chad. 5-3 Dawson.
I'm inclined to agree with you. It looks like this one is going to come down to how much each one turns it up in the championship rounds.
Round 9: The corner tries to urge Johnson to give it all. Dawson looks so much more comfortable now. Johnson's pressure doesn't affect him so much. He moves smartly and picks his shots and combinations. It must suck to fight Johnson, but he's slowed enough to let Dawson land the better punches. Dawson is beginning to land better and better combinations. Johnson has a difficult guard, but Dawson's punches just look so nice. The commentators believe that it's close, but I feel that Dawson is in control now. Johnson's aggression isn't as effective anymore. I see a lot of guys laughing at Dawson, but who looks good against Johnson? Round to Dawson based on smarter fighting and better punches.