Bobby Green is on top of the world after his 30-second starching (watch highlights) of Grant Dawson in the UFC Vegas 80 main event this past weekend (Oct. 7, 2023).
“King’s” momentum has built nicely in his most recent pair of outings. The 37-year-old San Bernardino, California native earned only the second submission win of his near-50 fight career (31-14-1, 1 no contest) when he hit a third round arm triangle choke (watch highlights) against Tony Ferguson at UFC 291 in July 2023.
Green’s two victories in 2023 earned him $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses, inching him closer to his ultimate goal of making $1 million in the year.
“I have goals. I don’t let any of this stuff that y’all think and do block what I’ve got going,” Green told The MMA Hour. “I just kept digging the shovel when everybody was talking about, ‘You’re not going to be champ. You’re not going to do this, you’re not going to do that.’ I just dug the shovel. I didn’t get caught up in all that different stuff, and in doing that — the shovel, which means going towards my goal, make sure the kids are taken care of.
“Every time I touch that floor, I’m going closer to my goal,” he continued. “My goal, I told my coach this year, I’m going to make you $100,000. He gets 10 percent of my check. So if he makes $100,000, that means I made a milly. We’re real close. I’m going to make $1 million this year. That’s been my goal, and so I need to do this last one which accomplishes that. That’s why I’m saying I’m going to do December. If they open it up, I’m doing it.”
Barely even breaking a sweat in his last time out, Green knows exactly who he wants to close out the year against. If “King” had his way, he’d get his hands on New Zealand’s Dan Hooker, who already expressed his willingness to take on the challenge.
“I’ve been doing the same stuff, you guys, and I’m going to keep showing you,” Green said. “So when I say that, I’ve got to live up to my word. I said I’d come out in December, I’m willing to do December. Who wants to get down? Let’s go. Hooker was talking like he wanted [to fight]. He said December is cool for him. If he really wants to do that. I heard some whispers that he’s talking like he wants to do it, let’s see if he’s really down.”