Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender Bobby Green
sees certain similarities between himself and Justin
Gaethje.
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Green (30-14), who takes on Grant
Dawson (20-1) in a main-event clash on Oct. 7, is coming off a
Round 3 submission win over Tony
Ferguson. Being a thorough crowd-favorite who engages in
stand-up clashes, this was the first time Green submitted an
opponent since 2013.
However, Green’s reluctance to wrestle has nothing to do with his
skill set, as “King” was a CIF wrestling champion at A.B. Miller
High School in Fontana, California. Similarly, fellow crowd
favorite Gaethje also primarily chooses to avoid wrestling despite
being a two-time state champion (AIA) at Safford High School and an
NCAA Division I All-American during his time at the University of
Northern Colorado.
Green believes he and “The Highlight” both avoid wrestling because
they are on a quest to become “superstars.” Promising to continue
playing to the crowd, the 37-year-old further elaborated during
UFC Fight Night 229 pre-fight media availability:
“Yeah, no one thought I had grappling. No one understands my
wrestling or my grappling. I just don’t really show them, you know.
Me and Gaethje both understand that like, ‘Uh, it’s not really what
the crowd wants to see.’ We understand that and we’re going to try
give you what the crowd wants. We’re trying to be superstars. We’re
trying to give 110% to what it is that fans came for. We’re here to
sell out shows… Wrestling, like, if you could do it in an exciting
way, cool, but being boring, that’s not me.”