Drew Dober is not looking for an easy route to the top.
Dober (23-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who has knocked out his last three opponents in a row, is enjoying perhaps his best career run. He is coming off a second-round finish of Alexander Hernandez in May, which saw him earn his second straight “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Having just cracked the UFC’s top-15 lightweight rankings, Dober is going after one of the least sought out opponents in the division. He wants elite grappler Islam Makhachev next.
The two were scheduled to fight in 2016, but the fight was canceled after Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) tested positive for meldonium, which he served no suspension for when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency determined that the substance was ingested “without fault or negligence.”
Four years later, Dober said he would love to see that matchup rebooked and wants to share the card with his teammate, UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, who is expected to unify his belt with Makhachev’s teammate, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, sometime in the fall.
“The matchup was meant to happen and why not put two of the most exciting fighters in the lightweight division against Russia’s best on the same card?” Dober told MMA Junkie.
“I think right now everyone is going to try to take me down. Islam is a solid grappler and a good test for me.”
Drew Dober wants Islam Makhachev next: 'He's a good test for me'