LAS VEGAS – Fighting Bobby Green was everything Drew Dober expected and then some, which made his knockout win at UFC Fight Night 216 that much sweeter.
Dober (26-11 MMA, 12-7 UFC) struggled with Green’s counterpunches and in-fight trash talk in Round 1 and into the second before landing a big knockout with a vicious left hand that sent Green (29-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) into unconsciousness. It was quite the way for Dober to push his winning streak to three.
“It was difficult. I don’t know if you saw, but Bobby is one hell of a fighter,” Dober told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a post-fight news conference at the UFC Apex. “All that charisma, that finesse, that creativity, man, he’s so unique. And it was hard to deal with. People said he was quick, and he was in fact.”
Dober said he was surprised by “all of it” in terms of sharing the cage with Green – especially all of the talking he did.
“That talking, it definitely kind of bothers you a bit,” Dober said. “I can’t run my mouth as well as he can, but it was truly something special and everything that I looked forward to. …
“I think a knockout win with Bobby Green is something special, but it’s in the long line of many special moments in this career.”
During his immediate in-cage interview with Paul Felder, Dober called out Jalin Turner. He later said Turner was “just the first name that came to mind,” but there was a reason for that. Since Turner choked out Brad Riddell in July at UFC 276 and Riddell beat Dober last year at UFC 261, Dober wouldn’t mind being able to avenge that loss “through the transitive property.”
Truth be told, Dober is down to fight anybody in hopes of continuing his winning ways.
“I get asked the question like, ‘Who do you want to fight?’ And I just try to come up with an answer for you guys,” Dober said. “If I took out that list it would hit the floor. I’d fight anyone. Like, if Jailin Turner doesn’t want to fight, Michael Johnson is an unranked fighter that would be a super fun fight. There’s guys with special grappling and wrestling abilities that I’d like to test myself against. I’m not picky. I said yes to about five fights before Bobby Green agreed. Who do I want to fight? All of them.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 216.
