Drew Dober (#15)
If Iaquinta is a long shot, Drew Dober getting the first crack at Michael Chandler is nearly impossible. But, hear us out.
Dober, 32, has been in the UFC for more than seven years, and seems to be putting it all together. Since 2017, Dober has won six of his last seven fights, with the lone loss coming to fellow ranked UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush. He’s also earned back-to-back Performance of the Night bonuses.
Currently on a three fight winning streak, Dober has collected finishes over Marco Polo Reyes, Nasrat Haqparast, and Alexander Hernandez. He’s developed into an extremely explosive and dangerous fighter, and is clearly ready for a step-up in competition. Now that he’s ranked, those challenges are on the way for Dober.
Will the next challenge be Chandler? Probably not. But whether or not they fight right away, Chandler-Dober at some point in the UFC sounds like a lot of fun.
It’s hard to go wrong when matchmaking ranked UFC lightweights. Adding a champion from another promotion to the mix creates some fun problems to solve, such as who that champion should fight in their debut bout. From title-contenders and former champions to bonus machines and savvy veterans, there are plenty of interesting available options.
