With the nickname “King”, Bobby Green is certainly very expectant of what he will achieve in his MMA career. After successfully navigating the tricky seas of the independent circuit before getting his break in Strikeforce, Green currently sits at #7 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings as a more than competent fighter in the packed 155lb division.
This Saturday he will fight #12 Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 57 in Austin, Texas, in the co-main event. This is an important fight for the Californian who is looking to re-affirm his position amongst the top contenders, after narrowly defeating Josh Thomson via split decision in his last fight.
Green got the biggest win of his career at UFC on FOX 12 in July of this year. At the time he was ranked #13, and as a late replacement for Michael Johnson, and so it was a big win for Green as Thomson was ranked #3 at the time.
In his next fight he was expected to face Donald Cerrone, however, Green was eventually replaced by new UFC signing Eddie Alvarez.
Perhaps this was a bit fortunate for “King” as Cerrone is an elite contender and after a slim victory against Thomson, a fight against Jorge Masvidal, who he was originally scheduled to face, would’ve been better to prove he belongs at #7.
Now, I’m by no means suggesting that he was lucky against Thompson, just that there is something to be said of growing gradually as a competitor and earning your way up the rankings step by step.
The 28 year-old joined Strikeforce in 2011, before that he fought in an array of promotions including; Total Fighting Alliance, Warriors Fighting Championship and King of the Cage. With his athleticism, speed and good ground game he’s won the KOTC lightweight championship, KOTC Junior welterweight championship, TFA lightweight championship and was the WFC 2008 lightweight tournament winner.
Of his earlier fights, his fight in Affliction in 2009 is perhaps the most noteworthy. He lost via submission in the first round to Dan Lauzon, brother of Joe Lauzon. Sherdog calls it one of the dirtiest fights in recent memory, after Green was deducted two points for hitting Lauzon with accidental groin shots, three times.
Green had a 4-1 record in Stikeforce and is currently on an eight-fight win streak, as he’s won all four of his UFC fights since joining in 2013.
In his first UFC fight he won submission of the night, as he beat Jacob Volkmann with a rear-naked choke. He then defeated James Krause controversially, as he hit him with a body kick that was thought to have hit Krause’s groin. Following that, a decision win over Pat Healy led to the biggest win of his career, beating Josh Thomson.
In his 28 fights, Green has amassed an impressive 23-5 record and has never fought outside of North America. The 5’10” lightweight has got nine wins via submission, eight by KO/TKO and only 26% by decision.
After defeating Thomson, Green publicly stated in the post-fight press conference, that he’d been grieving for his murdered brother, who had been killed less than two months earlier. He’d also received death threats himself, was rehabbing a broken ankle and had the birth of his daughter. Looking at all of that makes his win over Thomson even bigger, in what was clearly a very emotional time for him.
Looking at his stats on the UFC website from his last 11 fights, shows that he likes to keep things on his feet, landing 50% of his strike attempts and 78% of those standing. However, his takedowns are lacking a bit, as he only has four successful takedowns.
Defensively, he is more than solid. With 71% of strikes avoided and 77% of takedowns defended, his octagon control and great movement make him a tricky opponent to beat.
This Saturday he will fight the Brazilian, Edson Barboza. He has a 14-2 record with four wins in his last five fights. Known for his explosion and aggression he’s got tremendous KO power, with ten wins via KO/TKO. Statistically, both fighters are very similar and they are the same age.
It’ll be a close fight and will probably not go all the way; I give Green the edge as I believe he is a better all-round fighter.
Whichever way it does go, it’ll be worth watching this weekend. Bobby Green has the momentum right now and he’ll be looking to turn it into a crown fit for a King very soon.
by The Unranked Blogger
Getting the KO 