Drew Dober doesn’t expect to get Paddy Pimblett fight: ‘The UFC will not let me fight him’
Drew Dober vs. Paddy Pimblett? Fans would probably love it, but Dober doesn’t think that fight will happen anytime soon.
One of the most potent knockout artists in the lightweight division, Dober fights Bobby Green this Saturday on the main card portion of UFC Vegas 66. A win over Green would give Dober three straight wins, his best streak of success since 2020, and put him into position for a big name matchup next year.
At UFC Vegas 66 media day this past Wednesday, Dober was asked for his thoughts on fighting the popular Paddy Pimblett and he explained why they’re unlikely to cross paths.
“No, the UFC will not let me fight him,” Dober said. “Let’s be honest, we watched his last fight and we know what I’m capable of. That would be a fun one. I just want to fight in London at that O2 Arena, so if Paddy says ‘yes’ I’m all for it, but we all know that we’ve got Dana, the UFC, and all those guys, they won’t let that happen.”
Pimblett has become one of the UFC’s most divisive stars, with some fans flocking to the Englishman due to his brash personality and back-and-forth scraps and others dismissing his legitimacy as a contender in the loaded lightweight division.
The controversy around Pimblett only heightened this past weekend as Pimblett won a narrow decision over Jared Gordon, a bout that had many in the MMA community dubbing it a robbery.
Dober didn’t want to offer his own score of the fight until he’s had a chance to rewatch it, but he did suggest that Gordon had a higher hill to climb than it seemed.
“My opinion on the entire matter is there’s something to star power in the judges’ decisions,” Dober said. “We’re watching octagon control and effectiveness and all this other stuff, star power is something you’ve got to also get over, so when you’re fighting a guy as big as Paddy you’ve got to do more than just five more punches.”
On Saturday, Dober isn’t just fighting to move up the rankings and earn the right to call out a bigger name. With a knockout, he’ll tie Dustin Poirier for the most finishes via strikes by a lightweight (8) in UFC history.
The numbers Dober puts up are a testament to both his high-octane style and desire to stay as active as possible, something that won’t change for him no matter who his next opponent is.
“My goal is always three fights in a year, preferably more, but I just want to keep going,” Dober said. “I kind of just dismissed this idea, requesting ranked opponents and this and that. I just want exciting fights. I’m not trying to sneak my way up the ladder. I’m trying to make loud noises and so I would never turn down an exciting unranked fight for a boring ranked fight.”
Watch Drew Dober’s UFC Vegas 66 media day appearance here, courtesy of Cageside Press: