Tag: King Green

Beneil Dariush open to Paddy Pimblett vs. King Green winner: ‘I mean, sure’

Beneil Dariush could find an opponent out of Saturday’s UFC 304 featured bout.

MANCHESTER, England – [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] could find an opponent out of Saturday’s UFC 304 featured bout.

Lightweights [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and [autotag]King Green[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 13-10-1 UFC) square off on the main card (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

Dariush has paid close attention to the fight, and while he sees Pimblett as the more well-rounded fighter, he thinks Green’s experience could help him prevail.

“If you look at the styles, most people would say that Paddy needs to grapple,” Dariush told MMA Junkie. “But I think his striking is quite underrated, as well. I think he has more tools to win. That being said, Bobby Green finds a way to win.

“He’s won some fights that I didn’t think he was going to win, and he pulled it off. I think this could be a similar situation. He does well under pressure, so this pressure could really work in his favor.”

Once owner of one of the longest winning streaks at 155 pounds, Dariush finds himself on a losing skid after back-to-back stoppage losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. Although he’d like to continue fighting the upper echelon of the division, he wouldn’t say no to the winner of Pimblett vs. Green.

“I mean, sure,” Dariush said. “I don’t know if they’re in the rankings quite yet, but rankings haven’t meant much to me in general. If the UFC calls me and says this is the name, then that’s the name. It’s always been like that for me. I’ve gotten to call out a few people a few times and it’s never actually worked out, so I prefer to let the UFC give me a call and we figure it out.”

Dariush took some time off after getting stopped in two straight fights, but his return has been further delayed due to a meniscus injury. He hopes to be back by the end of the year.

“My goal was actually to fight late summer, so (originally) in like a month from now,” Dariush said. “Now I think hopefully end of the year, maybe October, possibly November. That’s more my goal now.”

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Dana White increases UFC 304 performance bonuses to six figures after King Green’s plea

Whoever wins the UFC 304 performances bonuses owe King Green a cold one.

MANCHESTER, England – Fighters who walk home with UFC 304 post-fight bonuses might owe [autotag]King Green[/autotag] a cold one.

At a UFC 304 pre-fight news conference Thursday at Co-op Live, Green (32-15-1 MMA, 13-10-1 UFC) pitched UFC CEO Dana White of a bonus increase – a request that’s become a popular ask at recent pay-per-view press conferences.

“Uncle Dana, let’s spice it up a little bit. Can we get $100 Gs for it?” Green said. “Can we get $100? Can we get $100? Let’s spice it up a little bit.”

After some cheers from the crowd and affirmations from the other fighters on stage, White replied, “Leon (Edwards) says yes.”

UFC officials thereafter confirmed to MMA Junkie the performance bonuses have indeed been doubled for the event from $50,000 to $100,000.

The increase marks the second time since the start of April that the promotion has obliged asks for performance bonus increases for pay-per-view events. At UFC 300, bonuses were raised to $300,000. Additionally, White added two extra performance bonuses to UFC 303 (increasing to six total) during the event’s pre-fight news conference in June.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

UFC 304 video: King Green, Paddy Pimblett exchange words during tense first faceoff

The first faceoff between King Green and Paddy Pimblett was as intense as expected.

MANCHESTER, England – Before they meet in the octagon, interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] and [autotag]King Green[/autotag] had their first faceoff of fight week Thursday at the UFC 304 press conference.

UFC 304 takes place Saturday at Co-op Live (ESPN+, ESPN2, pay-per-view), which also hosted Thursday’s press conference, where 10 fighters convened before fight night. Afterward, they all came face to face.

Green and Pimblett couldn’t stop yapping at each other while they stood face to face, with “The Paddy” also laughing and smiling.

You can watch Pimblett and Green’s UFC 304 press conference faceoff in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

Video replay: UFC 304 press conference

You can watch a live stream of the UFC 304 press conference in Manchester, England right here on MMA Junkie.

The UFC 304 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event in the video above. The press conference takes place at Co-Op Live in Manchester, England, which also hosts Saturday’s fight card.

UFC 304 is built around two title-fight rematches involving British champions as [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] puts his welterweight title on the line in a rematch with [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag], while Tom [autotag]Aspinall[/autotag] and [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] run it back for the interim heavyweight belt.

Here’s what you need to know about the UFC 304 press conference.

What time does the UFC 304 press conference start?

The UFC 304 press conference starts at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, which is 6 p.m. local time in Manchester.

Who’s taking part in the UFC 304 press conference?

Eight fighters from four main-card bouts are slated to participate in the UFC 304 press conference: Edwards, Muhammad, Aspinall, Blaydes, [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag], [autotag]King Green[/autotag], [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag], and [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]. In addition, ranked flyweights [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] are expected from the early prelims.

UFC CEO Dana White will oversee the UFC 304 press conference.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

King Green explains issue with ‘spoiled kid’ Paddy Pimblett before UFC 304: ‘They’re building you. I had to earn it’

King Green thinks Paddy Pimblett is getting preferential treatment ahead of their UFC 304 matchup in Manchester, England.

MANCHESTER, England – [autotag]King Green[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] is getting preferential treatment.

Green (32-15-1 MMA, 13-10-1 UFC) takes on Pimblett (21-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 304 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) main card at Co-op Live.

Green acknowledges that he mentioned Pimblett first, but the 24-fight UFC veteran is just irked by “The Baddy’s” quick rise in popularity compared to his long road.

“The thing is the kid was getting a little too brash,” Green told reporters, including MMA Junkie at the UFC 304 media day. “I’m a humble guy. For some reason, he keeps calling me the cocky guy. He’s the cocky f*cker, but to me, it’s like I’ve earned my spot. I’ve been here for so long. I think I’m here 12 years now fighting.

“And not just 12 years where I fight once a year and I hang out, and I hang out and come back the next year. No. Consistently doing four, five fights a year. So, for me it’s a little different where I’ve earned my spot. That guy was running his mouth and doing all this barking. I’m like, ‘Who is this guy?'”

Green went on to elaborate about the UFC’s push towards Pimblett, citing his custom shorts as an example.

“I call him the spoiled kid,” Green added. “Certain kids that don’t know you got the whole house. Everything’s been built around you, and I think it goes back for me, because I didn’t have a mum and dad, I seen those kids act like that in school, like they don’t know how they treat their mum and dad.

“They’re spoiled, and he acts the same way. He doesn’t realize the UFC is working with him every opportunity. They’re building you. I had to earn it. They had to put me through the fire, forged by fire. You, they built you, and there’s a difference between us two.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.