Islam Makhachev lived up to the hype at UFC 259.
The American Kickboxing Academy product was suffocating against fellow lightweight contender Drew Dober, as he grounded his opponent in all three rounds, advanced position with ease and found openings for timely ground-and-pound. Makhachev put the finishing touches on his victory by submitting his adversary with arm-triangle choke from half guard in Round 3 for his seventh consecutive UFC triumph.Dober, who entered the matchup having won six of his last seven Octagon appearances, never had a chance to be competitive. After more than a year on the sidelines due to multiple fight cancellations, Makhachev was happy to return to the win column.
“2020 was a crazy year, all my fights got canceled. That’s why I’m very happy to be here now and get the finish. I’m very happy,” Makhachev said.
“The finish is always very important … I tried to finish him in the first round, but Dober is a very strong guy. He has like …