Drew Dober continued his lightweight comeback earlier tonight (Sat., July 30, 2022) at UFC 277 live on ESPN+ (PPV)/ABC/ESPN from inside American Airlines Center in Dallas, Tex., when the veteran fighter stopped a very game Rafael Alves with a third-round knockout (punch to the body).
Dober and Alves locked horns from the opening bell and delivered on the wild fight they had promised. Both lightweights had their moments, but it was Dober who landed the more meaningful shots. Dober’s power was apparent and he delivered it in a variety of ways. Alves regained some steam after breaking for an eye poke and nearly scored a comeback finish. However, Dober sustained the blow and dug deep to launch a perfect left hook to the body in Round 3 that instantly slumped Alves for the finish.
Check out the final moments below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:
A shot to the ribs dropped Alves
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— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 31, 2022
Dober, 33, has now won two fights in a row after losing two straight against Islam Makhachev and Brad Riddell. The veteran fighter looks to be resurging in the jam-packed lightweight division and has enough pop on the feet to make some noise in the top 15. It will be interesting to see who Dober’s fights next, especially if he’s aiming for Fight of the Night every time out.
For complete UFC 277 results and coverage click here.