UFC Fight Night Jacksonville: Hernandez vs Dober Preview

Current Lightweight Division 

It’s a well-known fact that Khabib Nurmagomedov stands atop the lightweights of the UFC. Irish superstar Conor McGregor is always in the running for another shot at the title. He’s far from the only contender, however, as the lightweight division is one of the most packed in the UFC. Some notable lightweight fights in recent past include UFC 242, where Khabib successfully defended his belt against Dustin Poirier, and Tony Ferguson extending his win streak against Donald Cerrone. 

In the depths of the division is where you find the talents of Hernandez and Dober. How does this fight put them closer to the surface? This bout would put them in a position where they could possibly get a top-10 contender at the moment. The young hopefuls must get off on the right foot, and it starts on May 13th.

Alexander Hernandez

The young talent of Hernandez has come a long way since handling the defeat at the hands of Cowboy Cerrone. This loss came by way of knockout in the very first UFC card of 2019, Dillashaw vs Cejudo. Winning his first two fights in the UFC, Hernandez was gaining steam in the game. However, he was stunned by the highly-experienced Cowboy. That loss didn’t get the better of him, as Alexander righted the ship later that year. 

Down the road of 2019, Hernandez met Francisco Trinaldo in the summer. On July 20th, 2019, Hernandez won a unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian. The fight wasn’t his best work by any means, even Hernandez mentioned that himself. He was content with trading single shots with Trinaldo in the 3rd round. In hopes of getting the knockout, Hernandez fell short of his expectations but nonetheless, earned the nod of victory.

Drew Dober

Fighting by way of the Elevation Fight Team, Dober has found success in his young UFC career. He holds a record of 4-1, with his last two in knockout fashion. After suffering his first loss in the UFC at the start of 2019 to Beneil Dariush, Dober turned it around and won against Polo Reyes. Drew was feeding off his fast start in the UFC, and soon enough gained massive exposure.

What bigger stage than getting the call to be on a Conor McGregor card. On January 18th, 2020, the McGregor vs Cowboy undercard was kicking off. It all started with Dober vs Nasrat Haqparast. To kick off the ESPN prelims, Dober quickly put away the German prospect to earn the victory. The 31-year-old Dober is looking to take a big leap, straight into the UFC lightweight rankings.

Fight Preview

By most standards, Dober turned a lot of heads with his most recent performance. And, fans are starting to get behind Hernandez for his resilient form he displayed in 2019. But now, they meet where only one must advance in the rankings. Dober is labeled as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu trainer, while Hernandez is primarily a striker. This fight on paper is pure gold for fight fans and ultimately could boil down to a haymaker punch. The striking is what I’m most intrigued to watch as these two square off. For the prediction, more of a toss-up, Dober via decision. 

Follow me on Twitter @HunterSills2 for more content!

Also, be sure to check out the Overtime Heroics Forums page to join in on the discussion!

Hernandez vs Dober Hernandez vs Dober