Before Bruce Buffer can ignite the Manchester crowd at UFC 304 by introducing Paddy Pimblett, the legendary announcer will announce his opponent for the first time. Despite having 25 Octagon fights under his belt, King Green will make his debut on July 27.
Green and Pimblett are scheduled to be on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 304 as the third fight from the top. The event will be headlined by British welterweight champion Leon Edwards facing top contender Belal Muhammad. The co-main event will feature interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall taking on the only fighter to defeat him in the UFC, Curtis Blaydes.
UFC Lightweight Changes His Name to King Green Before UFC 304
Bobby Green has officially changed his name from Bobby to King.
He will now go by King Green 👑#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/Jn2LX1vZrr
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 7, 2024
After 49 professional fights, the fighter formally known as Bobby Green has officially changed his name to King Green as of July 7. The 37-year-old announced the move on social media after teasing the decision for several years.
Having been with the UFC since 2013, Green has long been synonymous with the nickname ‘King.’ Ahead of his fight with Jared Gordon in April 2023, Green announced that he would legally change his name to ‘King’ and “retire” his given name.
Ahead of UFC Vegas 71, Green told the media:
I’m retiring Bobby Green. I was gonna do this a couple years ago but I was fighting child cases with my baby mamas and stuff… I was just trying to do something different. Rebrand myself and let everyone know… I just want to show people that you can go from being homeless and being a peasant to being a king. I don’t want to be cocky like: ‘Oh you’re the king.’ Not the king. I’m a king.
King Green’s Callout of Paddy Pimblett
In the third fight of the UFC 304 main card, King Green will receive the hotly pursued matchup with Paddy Pimblett. The fight is a direct response to his electric callout of the British lightweight in his post-fight Octagon interview at UFC 300 after a dominant win over Jim Miller.
With Joe Rogan interviewing him in the cage, Green said:
Ay, this s*** just getting started. Paddy, how dare you. You slimy, sugary little snake. How dare you say my name. I’m coming after you. [In] July, I’m coming to your backyard, with your people, and kick your a**.
At that point, the UFC had already announced that they would host an event in Manchester during the summer, igniting Green’s dynamic promo. The no. 15-ranked lightweight has continuously stressed that he is only acting in response to Pimblett, who mentioned his name first.
Late Career Resurgence
Should King Green become the first fighter to defeat Paddy Pimblett in the UFC on July 27, the win would only further his inspiring late-career resurgence. After briefly occupying a spot in the promotional lightweight rankings in his prime, Green won just two of his seven fights from 2014 to 2019 upon reaching the top of the division.
While most believed that he would never again reach the top of the talent-filled lightweight division, Green miraculously fought his way back to the prestigious rankings in 203 with a shocking knockout of Grant Dawson. Since the upset win, the 37-year-old has remained in the top 15 and has a chance to continue his unprecedented momentum.
Sportsbooks currently favor Green to get the job done at UFC 304 despite fighting in Pimblett’s home country. Many believe that even with local champions Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall headlining the card, ‘The Baddy’ will still be the biggest fan favorite of the night.
For More Great Content
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy
