Tag: Lando Vannata

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] believes [autotag]Lando Vannata[/autotag] made a major misstep in accepting Saturday’s rematch at UFC on ESPN+ 31.

After fighting to a split draw at UFC 216 in October 2017, Green (25-10-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) and Vannata (11-4-2 MMA, 3-4-2 UFC) are set to run it back in a lightweight bout on this weekend’s card, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Although the rematch came together on relatively short notice, Green said he’s infinitely more prepared. The bar wasn’t set particularly high, though, because the conditions around the first matchup, as Green described them, were far from ideal.

“It was my last fight (on my contract and), I had no coach,” Green told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Thursday during UFC on ESPN+ 31 media day. “I had just found my coach, and he’ll tell you the story, too. I just walked into the gym and said, ‘Will you work with me for this fight?’ We just half-assed it. We worked together, and we just fought the kid like it was. We didn’t know anything about the kid, didn’t know how to prepare for the kid, and even I’m fighting him with two weeks now, but at least I know who the hell I’m dealing with now. Before we were just doing some random stuff. To be honest, I was out of shape, I didn’t come in the best me,and now we’re going to see who is all really in.”

Both men believe they have valid claims to a win in the first meeting at UFC 216. Vannata would’ve won a split decision had he not landed an illegal knee on Green in the first round that cost him one point.

Green said he knows what he did wrong leading up to that fight, and he still made it razor thin.

“I’m an honest person,” Green said. “I’ll be honest: I felt like he did some really good things in the first fight. He dropped me. My problem is I let him get off with a good shot in the wrong places too early. His pop was still good. So, it’s just not knowing too much about him. Really at the end of the day I feel like it was just the judges. I let them see whatever they see. I don’t judge the fights.”

It’s not his intention to discredit Vannata, he said, but Green thinks he can assess the situation sincerely. After doing so, his confidence is sky high. In fact, Green is somewhat surprised Vannata even agreed to the rematch.

“Look at this face and look at mine,” Green said. “He had a cut over his nose; he had a cut over his eye. I don’t even know why they signed the fight again to be honest. I wouldn’t want to look like that again. If you want to do that again to yourself, sure. Go ahead. … I’m going to press him so hard. I don’t know why he would even sign this fight. He thinks I’m going to come in here half-assed. I don’t know why he would even do that to himself again. I’m coming so hard, bro. I’m here to let him have it. I’m here to let him have it A to B. I’m sorry, if he’s still standing, I guarantee he won’t be standing by the third round. I’ll get him out by the third.”

Despite years passing since their first encounter, Green said there’s still something unsettling about his first clash with Vannata. He doesn’t like the feeling of unresolved business and wants to bring his history with Vannata to a definitive end.

“I never had a draw in my life,” Green said. “There’s a winner, and there’s a loser. We’ve got to go figure it out. There’s no time to play around. There’s no time to figure it out.”