Islam Makhachev will fight Drew Dober in huge Lightweight clash at UFC 259

A huge Lightweight matchup between Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober is reportedly set to take place at UFC 259 on March 6th, 2021.

Both Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober are set to clash in the pivotal matchup that will help the winner climb up the rankings of the UFC Lightweight division.

Makhachev was supposed to fight Drew Dober back in 2016, but the fight was scrapped due to the Russian fighter failing a drug test at the time. Regardless, He was subsequently cleared of the USADA suspension imposed on him after the drug test and is now set to fight Dober in 2021.

Islam Makhachev had a challenging journey through 2020

The 2020 calendar year has been considerably challenging for many all around the world owing to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.

On that note, Islam Makhachev too has been one of many fighters whose schedules have been affected by the pandemic. Makhachev was set to compete in the biggest fight of his MMA career earlier this year.

Islam Makhachev was all set to face former UFC Lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos, in a three-round bout at UFC 254 in October of this year. However, Dos Anjos tested positive for COVID-19 and was coerced to withdraw from the event.

Their fight was rebooked as a five-round lightweight bout that would’ve served as the main event of the UFC Vegas 14 fight card that took place in November. However, this time around, Makhachev withdrew from the fight.

The talented Russian fighter suffered a staph infection due to which he was unable to compete at UFC Vegas 14. Rafael dos Anjos went on to face and beat short-notice replacement Paul Felder at UFC Vegas 14.

Needless to say, having missed out on competing in the most high-profile fight of his career, Islam Makhachev has been eager to get back to the Octagon at the earliest.

Drew Dober is on an impressive winning streak

Islam Makhachev is currently on a six-fight winning streak, with his last fight witnessing him defeat Davi Ramos via unanimous decision in September of 2019.

HUGE knee by @MAKHACHEVMMA drops Ramos #UFC242 pic.twitter.com/xUN9pONedf

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 7, 2019

On the other hand, Drew Dober has won his last three fights. What many believe makes Dober’s run quite impressive is the fact that all three of his wins have come by way of KO/TKO.

Drew Dober last competed against Alexander Hernandez, beating his opponent via a second-round TKO in May of this year.

𝑳𝑨𝑼𝑵𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮.@DrewDober finishes Hernandez standing! 👊➡️ LIVE on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/75sm0ltWF2

— UFC (@ufc) May 14, 2020

The UFC 259 matchup between Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober hasn’t officially been announced by the promotion as of yet.

Which fighter do you think would emerge victorious in the matchup between Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober? Sound off in the comments.