Drew Dober believes in fighting until the very end, so he has no issues with referee Mike Beltran`s decision to stop his recent fight in Mexico City.
In the co-main event, Torres hit Dober, causing him to drop. Dober immediately tried for a takedown to recover. Torres then landed several hammer fists to Dober`s head before the referee stopped the fight at 1:45 of the first round.
Right after the fight was stopped, Dober got back up, ready to continue. Many people questioned if the stoppage was too late because Dober seemed to recover quickly, while others criticized Beltran for letting Dober take too much damage.
“I agree with the stoppage. It was a good call,” Dober told MMA Fighting about the fight. “The first or second hammer fist really stunned me. But my body just wants to keep fighting. It`s like my body was still going, but my mind wasn`t really there.”
“I grabbed his leg because I wasn`t fully aware anymore. It was a good stoppage. My will to fight is just stronger than what my mind was processing.”
Since the fight, Dober has reviewed it and realized exactly when he was no longer fully in the fight. However, in the moment, it was harder to see clearly.
“If you watch closely, when you want to finish a takedown, your grip should be above your opponent’s knee,” Dober explained. “I was trying for a takedown, and after the first couple of hammer fists, you can see my grip slip below his knee, into a low single. That`s not a takedown I normally do, so it wasn`t a good move.”
“So, if you rewatch the fight, the moment my grip goes below his knee is when the fight should have been stopped.”
Considering he took more hits after he was already out of it, does Dober blame Beltran for stopping it late?
“For my own health, it could have been stopped sooner, but I don’t blame the referee. He’s doing his job,” Dober said. “He told me in the locker room that he knows how I fight. He knows I can take damage. He wants to give me every chance to improve my position.”
“The reason for the late stoppage is really just that my body kept fighting even when my mind wasn`t there. I don`t blame anyone. Everyone was doing their job, including Manuel Torres. It`s just how it went.”
While fighter safety is the most important thing for referees, Dober admits he prefers referees to give fighters every chance to recover.
There was no coming back in the Mexico fight, but Dober is grateful that his toughness usually allows him to withstand attacks and fight back.
“I chose a career that`s not good for my health,” Dober said. “We`re not going to have perfect MMA careers. We`re going to get hit, and we have to recover. I think referees should give fighters a little more leeway and let the professionals work.”
Much of the post-fight discussion was about the stoppage. For Dober, he is also dealing with his third UFC loss in a row.
What`s even more disappointing for Dober is that he couldn`t showcase his training because the fight ended so quickly.
“I`m upset that I only fought for a minute and a half, but I wanted to see what went wrong,” Dober said. “I watched the fight several times, and honestly, I was doing everything right. I worked on improving, my game plan, my movement, my feints. I was pushing him against the fence, taking risks. Everything was set up for a great fight. But there’s also some luck involved. He committed to a 1-2 punch off the fence and landed it. I was aware after the knockdown. We’re fighters, we get hit. There`s no such thing as a perfect fight.”
“I fell, tried for a takedown to get the fight going, and the first or second hammer fist to the side of my head ended it. What I take from it is that I still have it, I`m still skilled, and I`m ready for the next one. But Manuel Torres landed a perfect shot.”
Back home and resting, Dober is serious about his long-term health and won`t rush back into fighting without being fully ready.
Dober plans to see doctors this week to get checked out. Even though he feels okay, he`s being cautious about his brain health after the knockout. He hopes to fight again around August or September, depending on doctor`s clearance.
“I`m not going to be a wrestler who avoids getting hit. I know I’m going to get punched in the head when I fight,” Dober said. “It`s part of my fighting style. So, I need to make sure my head is healthy enough to take the hits. I’m taking time off. I`m seeing a neurologist on Friday to check my head. I`m wearing blue-light glasses and using a hyperbaric chamber. I’m doing everything I can to make sure my brain heals properly before I fight again.”
“Health-wise, I feel fine. We`re just going to make sure we don’t cause any more damage in training.”
