Most fighters these days have some sort of gripe with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Whether it’s a lack of compensation, unfavorable fight offers, or issues with sponsorships, it seems like a new fighter each week has something negative to say about the biggest MMA promotion in the world.
While most of these issues hold water and need substantial fixing, it’s rare that a fighter publicly supports the UFC machine. That’s exactly what lightweight veteran Bobby Green did earlier this week ahead of his clash with Nasrat Haqparast tomorrow night (Sat., Feb. 12, 2022) at UFC 271 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
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CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on Sat., Feb. 12, 2022, with a thrilling Middleweight championship do-over that will see division champion, Israel Adesanya, run it back with No. 1-ranked contender, Robert Whittaker. In UFC 271’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, Heavyweight fan favorites, Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa, lock horns in a 265-pound tussle that surely won’t last long. SHOEYS FOR EVERYONE!
Green, who has been competing under the UFC banner since 2013, is one of the more seasoned fighters on the UFC roster today. “King” has fought for a laundry list of promotions in the past and is simply happy to compete under the bright lights of the Octagon. You’ve never heard him say a bad word about the promotion and probably never will.
During UFC 271’s media scrum earlier this week Green revealed another reason why he’s become one of the promotion’s most loyal fighters. According to Green, UFC helped pay for his late brother’s funeral arrangements. It’s not something that made it to the MMA headlines, but it’s a behind-the-scenes look at what UFC is willingly to do even when credit isn’t given.
“One thing I didn’t get to share is that my brother that died, I didn’t have enough money to pay for his funeral. The UFC paid for that. That’s why I’m so loyal to them. They were doing things for me that no company’s ever did,” said Green.
“They put (up) the money for my brother’s funeral. And they took care of that. And so I’ll always be loyal to them and thankful for them. Thank you, Dana, thank you Sean (Shelby) for all the things you guys have done.”
Green’s personal life and subsequent hardships have allowed him to appreciate the opportunity to fight for UFC for so many years. “King” is just trying to enjoy every second and show his gratitude along the way, which is clearly shining through during UFC 271’s fight week.
“I tell (the UFC) all the time, ‘You guys don’t have no idea what you’ve done for me. You changed my life,’” Green said. “And I know that everybody else gets it, like, with the pay and all this bla bla bla… I’m just thankful to be here. ‘Cause every day, I’m just going, like, ‘Man, I’m really here! I came to Texas for free! I came to New York for free!’
“I’m just a broke little kid, and I’ll never forget that. I’ll never act like I forgot. I ain’t forgot those homeless nights. I remember what it feels like when it’s three o’clock in the morning and that morning dew starts to hit where everything gets wet.
“You get wet when you’re sleeping out there, too. I’ll never forget those things.”
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 271 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
For more news and notes on UFC 271 be sure to visit our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated, revised, and finalized “Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.