UFC lightweight Drew Dober is speaking out after his knockout loss to Manuel Torres at UFC Mexico City, expressing concern that the fight should have been stopped earlier.
In the co-main event, Dober faced Torres in what many expected to be a striking showcase. However, the bout ended quickly. Dober was dropped in the opening seconds of the first round, and Torres followed up with a barrage of hammerfists. As Dober clung to Torres’s leg in an apparent attempt at a takedown, the referee allowed the action to continue for several more moments before stepping in.
The delayed stoppage has sparked debate among fans and analysts alike. While Dober did appear to regain his footing briefly, he later admitted he was disoriented and unaware of what was happening.
“I never went back and forth. It was a good stoppage,” Dober told MMA Fighting. “That first or second hammerfist was the one that kind of put me in another dimension. But my body’s just willing to fight, I guess. The lights were on, but nobody was home.”
“The reason I was hanging onto his leg is because I was no longer there. It was a good stoppage. My willingness to fight just transcends my mind.”
Dober, who’s known for his toughness and willingness to brawl, analyzed the sequence that led to the finish in technical detail.
“If you watch, technically when you want to finish a takedown, your grip should be above your opponent’s knee,” he explained. “I was shooting for a takedown and after the first or second hammerfist, you see my grip drop below his knee to a low single. I don’t ever do that takedown—so that was not a productive movement.”
“If you rewatch the film, the moment my grip goes below his knee, that’s when the fight should’ve been stopped.”
While Dober respects referee Mike Beltran’s decision to give him a chance to recover, he admits that he absorbed more damage than necessary.
“I understand why Beltran gave me the opportunity—I prefer to fight through it—but yeah, I took more shots than I should have. It’ll take a little time to recover, not just physically, but also emotionally. This sport hits your face and your ego.”
Despite the loss, Dober is keeping things in perspective. He discloses that he ate more punches than was necessary, and believes the refree should have ended the fight earlier. While Dober admits to understanding the reason for the referee’s– Mike Beltran– reason for holding back, as he prefers to be given every opportunity to get back into the fight, He knows it will take some time to recover from not only the hits to his face but also to his ego as a fighter.
“I chose an unfortunate career for my health,” he said candidly. “We’re not going to have perfect careers in MMA. We’re going to take punches and we’ve got to recover from them. I think refs should lean more on taking a step back and letting the pros do their work.”
Still, Dober doesn’t regret the preparation or performance leading up to the finish.
“I hate the fact that I only gave like a minute and 30 seconds of a fight, but I wanted to see where I went wrong,” he said. “I watched the fight multiple times and truthfully, I was doing everything I needed to do—my improvements, my game plan, my motion, my feints. I was working him up against the fence, I was taking chances. Everything was in place for it to be one hell of a fight. The other part is, there’s a little bit of luck involved. He committed to the 1-2 off that fence and he found the mark.”
“I was completely coherent on the knockdown. We’re all fighters. We get punched in the mouth. There’s no such thing as a perfect fight.”
“I fell on my butt, shot for the takedown to keep the fight going, and that first or second hammerfist landed just right. But what I took from this is—I still have it. I’m still talented, and I’m eager for the next one. But credit to Manuel Torres—he nailed the bullseye.”
Following the tough loss, Dober says he’ll take some time to rest and heal before returning to action. He’s targeting a return to the Octagon around August or September, pending medical clearance.
