The veteran ‘King’ Bobby Green is back in action this weekend at UFC Vegas 80. He will fight lightweight prospect Grant Dawson, and in this article, we take a closer look at the matchup.
UFC Vegas 80: Will Bobby Green Reign Supreme?
This will be Green’s 23rd fight in the UFC. The active veteran always puts on an entertaining display, but at 37 years of age, he surely doesn’t have many fights left. He’s up against a rising contender in Grant Dawson who is undefeated in the UFC, therefore Green could be staring down the barrel of another defeat here.
It would be foolish to completely write ‘King’ off though. Although he doesn’t have many victories over big names, he did submit the legendary Tony Ferguson in his last fight. This may not be particularly impressive to some as Ferguson is on a downward trajectory, but it’s a big scalp nonetheless. He also secured the arm triangle choke with only six seconds remaining in the fight.
Green is a tricky customer to say the least. He keeps his hands low when he fights, making it difficult for his opponent to see where his shots are coming from. With high volume striking, neat footwork and pinpoint accuracy, Green can be very hard to deal with. It is likely he will have his moments in this fight, but he certainly has his work cut out for him against a strong grappler like Dawson.
Long Live the King
‘King’ doesn’t have too many advantages in this fight, but he does have power and his striking is arguably better. One thing he definitely does have over Dawson though is experience – his record stands at 30-14-1. This is Dawson’s first five round fight. If Green can keep matters on the feet for a long period of time, there is a chance his persistence could lead to his opponent tiring himself out.
Back in 2014, Green was awarded a split decision win over Josh Thomson. If he is able to beat an up-and-coming prospect like Grant Dawson, then it will be the biggest win of his career since the Thomson victory. A statement like that will bag Green another big fight, and a chance at putting together a winning streak before he calls time on an admirable career.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
