Las Vegas, NV — Their lightweight fight was billed as one brimming explosive potential, and Drew Dober vs. Bobby Green absolutely delivered.
Despite Green starting the fight strong with slick movement and pinpoint accuracy, it was Dober coming away with the KO victory in the second round at UFC Vegas 66. What he saw from Green inside the octagon, Dober told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight, was both surprising — and something special.
“All of it,” Dober (26-11, 1NC) said when asked what surprised him about Green. “How fast he was, how fluid he was. Man, he was really hard to hit. He was able to shoulder roll and man that talking, it definitely kind of bothers you a little bit. I can’t run my mouth as well as he can. But man, he was truly something special and everything that I looked forward to.”
Dober admits he was a fan of Green’s from “way, way back. So this was actually a long time coming and a true honor to be able to compete with him.”
He prefers that sort of match-up — fighting opponents he respects, rather than hates.
“When you hate somebody, you’re afraid to lose to that person, so you fight not to lose,” explained Dober. “But when you enjoy the person, you can respect the person, you can open up and be creative. And that’s when fun fights happen. The best fights I’ve ever seen are two friends trying to fight each other.”
“I think more respect is going to lead into more fantastic fights.”
The corner advice he received following a rough first round? “They told me a lot. Don’t get hit. Do less losing and more winning,” Dober joked. But there was some serious advice laid out for him. “To control the octagon. We were trying not to head hunt. I got a little mixed up in it, whether it was Bobby’s words or whatnot. We had to pull things back a bit, control the octagon, use some footwork, and try to set a game up versus trying to run it head first.”
"They told me a lot. Don't get hit. Do less losing and more winning."
Some solid advice from @DrewDober 's team! 😉
Full #UFCVegas66 post-fight scrum ➡️: https://t.co/AH32DrAYG5 pic.twitter.com/0DwYUNcdSV
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 18, 2022
Following the fight, Dober called out one name in particular. “I think I dropped the name Jalin Turner,” said Dober. For no particular reason, it seems. “It’s just the first name that came to mind.”
If not Turner, there are a number of names that interest the lightweight. “Michael Johnson would be a super-fun fight,” he noted. So would any number of other potential opponents. “I said yes to about five fights before Bobby Green agreed. Who do I want to fight? All of them.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 66 post-fight press scrum with Drew Dober above.
