Bobby Green came up short at UFC Vegas 49 after attempting to tackle an impossibly tough opponent like Islam Makhachev on just 10 days’ notice but he still felt the need to apologize after failing to live up to his own expectations in the performance.
The fight ended in rapid-fire fashion after Makhachev secured his first takedown in the opening round, passed through Green’s defense and then hammered him with punches from the top until referee Herb Dean stopped the contest.
“I did the best I can, guys,” Green said on the UFC Vegas 49 post-fight show. “I’m so sorry to all my fans. I promise you, I will live up to this. I just threw it together. I did what I could for you guys.”
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the situation, Green still felt deflated because he didn’t get to show much of anything in the fight before Makhachev ended his night.
“First time I got taken out like that. It really sucks,” Green said. “I know I’m throwing this together. I did what I can. I got off the couch. I’m still banged-up from my last fight. I did the best I can with what I had.
“I really just wanted to get the chance to at least test the guy. Interesting what you were doing. I think I know what you’re doing and I understand what you’re doing now. So if we ever cross paths [again], I will be prepared for him.”
Green was coming off of a win two weeks ago at UFC 271 in Houston before making the quick turnaround to face Makhachev as a replacement for Beneil Dariush, who suffered an injury that forced him off the card.
It was a tall task to get ready for somebody like Makhachev without any real time to prepare for the fight but Green couldn’t help but be impressed after they clashed on Saturday night.
“He’s so patient and he’s so strong and he just goes little, little, little and then little until he gets right where he wants to be,” Green said. “So I tried to do some turning over and as I did it, he went to mount and he was so strong at holding his mount, I was like eventually I could try to get and turn and I couldn’t move out of it. No one’s been that strong before.
“So I’ve got to get on my weight training and my muscles to build up that strength for this division.”
Even though the result didn’t go his way, Green was praised for his willingness to take this opportunity after there were many calls for him to get his first UFC main event following a recent win over Nasrat Haqparast.
Considering the outpouring of support he received, Green could easily get another headlining spot in the near future — perhaps with a full training camp next time around — but he might actually need some convincing.
According to Green, he really didn’t enjoy the waiting game that comes along with the main event slot where he was sitting backstage watching everybody else compete while he was ultimately one of the last two people to set foot in the octagon.
“Can I be honest? No [I don’t want another main event]!” Green said. “I know my guys don’t want to hear that. [My manager] Jason [House] is freaking having a baby right now but it was so long back there!
“I just want to fight and get it over with. Put me on the main card at least, I’ll open it or something like that. It just took so long. I want to fight and get it over and be partying.”
