Drew Dober refuses to buy into hype surrounding Islam Makhachev; claims a lot of his hype comes from Khabib

Drew Dober recently commented on the hype surrounding Islam Makhachev in an interview. The two are set to meet inside the Octagon on March 6th at UFC 259. Dober feels that the fight will determine whether Makhachev is the real deal or not.

Islam Makhachev will fight Drew Dober at #UFC259 on March 6th. (first rep. @bokamotoESPN) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN pic.twitter.com/dVSoJANXdY

— MaRCeL DoRFF 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) February 2, 2021

Islam Makhachev has garnered a considerable amount of hype around himself. His professional mixed martial arts record currently stands at 18-1-0. Islam is also on a 6-fight win streak in the UFC. While these statistics do warrant attention, Drew Dober detailed the other reasons for the hype surrounding Makhachev. In an interview with MMA Junkie, Drew Dober said:

"I think a lot of his hype comes from Khabib and the Russian fanbase and all that stuff and not really so much his accomplishments in the cage. Honestly, that’s what I’m trying to test out, to kinda see if that hype is real and that kinda thing. I don’t really see the hype being warranted, but we’re here to find out March 6th."

Hailing from Dagestan, Russia, both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev train at the American Kickboxing Academy and have a close relationship.

Leading up to his fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov appeared in an interview with Aaron Bronsteter. The Eagle had mentioned in the past that he sees a future champion in Islam Makhachev. Following up on the same, Bronsteter asked whether Makhachev's ability inside the Octagon is the reason that he does not get fights. Khabib replied to this, saying:

“I think because of how dangerous he is in the cage, and I think because of his ranking. A lot of guys like top five, top six, top seven don’t wanna fight him because it is a risk for them. Right now, Islam’s position is very hard, but after one or two fights, everything is going to change. A lot of people are gonna want this fight after one year."

Drew Dober also commented about Islam Makhachev's fans sliding into his DMs. The lightweight noted earlier in the interview that Russian fans support their athletes with commendable zeal. When asked if some of Islam's Makachev's fans had tried conversing with him, Drew Dober said:

"Of course, which I love. Whether you want to see me win or you want to see me lose, you’re tuning into my fight. Performing martial arts in front of as many people as possible is my dream, so I absolutely adore it."