Drew Dober`s 25th UFC appearance on Saturday was far from celebratory, ending in a swift and decisive defeat.
In the co-main event at UFC Mexico, the seasoned lightweight fighter suffered a knockout loss in under two minutes against Manuel Torres. Torres landed a sharp right hand, followed by a series of hammer fists. The fight`s ending was marred by controversy as referee Mike Beltran was slow to stop the bout, allowing Dober to absorb multiple unanswered blows to the head after he was clearly unable to defend himself from the initial knockdown.
Dober addressed the loss on Sunday with a statement on social media:
“Well, that sucked,” Dober wrote. “A beautifully timed 1-2 by Manuel Torres. There’s not much else to say other than I stepped right into the path of a long, powerful punch.”
Dober did not directly comment on the controversial refereeing, which saw a dazed Dober momentarily rise and attempt to resume fighting, seemingly unaware the match had been stopped.
This knockout marks the third of Dober’s UFC career, including a TKO due to cuts in his previous fight against Jean Silva in July. The 36-year-old is currently on a three-fight losing streak, having lost four of his last five matches.
While Dober is known for earning eight UFC performance bonuses throughout his career, this time it was Torres who received the $50,000 bonus for the knockout, his fourth bonus in just four UFC victories.
