Drew Dober is aware of he dropped the ball earlier this yr, however plans on that simply being a pace bump in his run to the highest.
Heading into 2023, Dober was a fighter on the rise. Driving a three-fight ending streak that noticed him crack the UFC’s prime 15 at light-weight, Dober hoped to have a marquee yr and transfer into title competition. As a substitute, the Nebraska native took a backwards step, getting completed by Matt Frevola at UFC 288 in Could. This previous Saturday although, Dober rebounded in spectacular vogue, stopping Ricky Glenn within the first spherical at UFC Vegas 80 — and hopefully, reestablishing himself as a reliable risk at 155 kilos.
“All of us get caught generally,” Dober stated on The MMA Hour. “The extra instances you roll the cube, the higher likelihood you’re going to roll snake eyes. How did a KO win work with Adriano Martins? As a result of Islam Makhachev remains to be world champion. Matt Serra. The listing can go on.
“We slipped up. That’s what occurs. It’s extra like, why? Why did I get caught? We sort of began believing in my fingers and my chin, the giga-Chad, ‘We will do that with simply these two issues.’ That’s not what introduced us there. … After the Frevola battle I needed to remind myself, dance with the lady that introduced you. How did we get to this knockout file? We did it via setups, motion, blended martial arts. I used to be taking pictures takedowns and all that stuff after I needed to show that I deserved to be within the UFC. So we needed to deliver that again. [UFC] APEX, towards Ricky Glenn, we needed to show I need to be there once more.”
“It occurs to us all,” Dober added when requested if he purchased into his personal hype. “I feel it occurred to Charles Oliveira when he fought Islam, it occurred to Israel Adesanya when he fought [Sean] Strickland. There’s a second the place we begin studying the web titles and we begin believing it and it sort of simply adjustments us a bit. I obtained humbled with Frevola and my daughter, and we’re again to proving it once more.”
Dober’s win not solely earned him his seventh efficiency bonus within the UFC, nevertheless it additionally earned him a file: Probably the most knockouts in light-weight historical past. Dober’s 9 knockouts put him over illustrious names like Dustin Poirier, B.J. Penn, Donald Cerrone, and Justin Gaethje, and whereas that’s nice firm to be amongst already, he’s hoping that it might lead him to much more spectacular alternatives sooner or later.
“One of many issues I’ve by no means actually thought of. It’s actually cool,” Dober stated of the file. “I like that stat. It’s actually enjoyable. I solely simply hope it provides a little bit bit of sunshine and buzz to my identify in order that means we are able to work on the résumé. Having the quantity of knockouts is nice, however now I’m prepared for the large and nice, incredible fights. Hopefully this file will get me these larger fights.”
Following his spectacular efficiency on Saturday, and the excitement that’s beginning to construct round him, Dober may get his want. Add in that Bobby Inexperienced, who Dober knocked out simply final yr, scored an enormous upset win over top-10 ranked Grant Dawson on Saturday, and Dober is hopeful he’ll get one other shot at somebody with a rating subsequent.
“‘Is sensible’ is completely different than what I would like. What I would like is like that Poirier, Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor [kind of fight],” Dober stated. “Not for the cash, the glam, the glitz, the ladies. I would like it as a result of I’m prepared to gather some bruises from Poirier. I would like that. What’s possible? Diego Ferreira, we’ve tried to battle earlier than. Jalin Turner. Paul Felder — he stated he’s coming again, I feel that might be a enjoyable one. Dan Hooker could possibly be enjoyable.
“What I’ve proven in my profession is I can dangle with the most effective on the planet. Bobby Inexperienced’s going to have No. 10 subsequent to his identify right here quickly, and we all know how our battle performed out. So we all know I’ve the expertise for it. I can have nice fights with any one among these guys within the prime 15. Now I simply need to have that chance once more.”
If he had his druthers, Dober stated Poirier can be his first selection. The previous interim champion is “a residing legend,” Dober stated, however he additionally acknowledges that it’s not prone to occur. So if it’s to not be, then he’s completely happy to face whoever the UFC desires, as except for chasing the light-weight prime 15, he now has one other aim to pursue as effectively.
“I feel Derrick Lewis has [14 knockouts], in order that’s the brand new bar to achieve.”
