Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober reportedly in the works for March 2021

According to a report from ESPN's Brett Okamoto, the UFC is reportedly aiming to book a fight between Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober. Two of lightweight's finest, the idea is to book the two fighters for March 2021.

Taking to Twitter, Okamoto noted that, per multiple sources, the UFC is closing in on booking the aforementioned fight. Despite no given specified date, Okamoto suggests that the bout could take place on the 6th of March.

Here is what Brett Okamoto wrote on Twitter:

UFC targeting a lightweight fight between Islam Makhachev (@MAKHACHEVMMA) and Drew Dober (@DrewDober), per multiple sources. No official date yet, but March 6 is an option. That's a damn good matchup.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 10, 2020

Islam Makhachev was initially scheduled for a huge showdown with Rafael dos Anjos this year. However, the former was eventually forced to pull out of the fight and was replaced by Paul Felder. RDA went on to beat The Irish Dragon, who had taken the fight on 5 days' notice and as things stand, it looks like the UFC has no plans on re-booking the initial fight.

Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober's respective runs in the UFC

Islam Makhachev is one of the most promising UFC lightweight fighters in the world today. So much so that even former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov believes that his fellow teammate will become a champion at 155 someday.

Injuries and illnesses is part of the game, and there is nothing we can do. My apologies to all fans and supporters around the world who’s been waiting for this fight. I’ll be back soon 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/bpcxkfSJpK
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) November 10, 2020

That being said, Drew Dober has been on the rise in the lightweight division and secured three wins in a row in his last three octagon outings. Dober's last win in the UFC was over Alexander Hernandez in May. In his first fight of 2020, Dober defeated Nasrat Haqparast.

His potential opponent has also been on a terrorizing run in the UFC. Makhachev's last three wins were over Davi Ramos, Arman Tsarukyan, and Kajan Johnson. Even though Makhachev hasn't fought in 2020, he remains one of the most dangerous 155-pounders on the planet. The up-and-coming sensation has not been beaten for six fights in a row.

The showdown between Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober is yet to be confirmed by the UFC. However, it does promise to be a fight that the fans wouldn't want to miss.