Bobby Green doesn’t care about title belts. He isn’t even concerned so much about winning. Green is looking to get into a fight and he’s in search of someone willing to engage with him.
The UFC lightweight contender meets Al Iaquinta in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee on July 15 in San Diego. Green told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour that he hopes Iaquinta won’t back down or run away.
“I’m gonna stand in the middle of the cage and I’m gonna go after Al Iaquinta,” Green said. “I’m not gonna stop until he stops or I stop. There’s not gonna be no stop. There is no stop. I’m going and I’m going and I’m going until one of our hearts falls out. Somebody better have a f*cking heart attack or a knockout. That’s what I’m looking for.”
Green’s recent fights have turned him off. The outspoken slugger believes Josh Thomson ran away from him during Green’s split decision win over him last July. Green also thinks Edson Barboza backed down in Barboza’s unanimous decision victory over Green last November. Green firmly believes he won the Barboza fight, because he pushed the pace.
“These guys are not here to fight,” Green said. “Are we dancers? Are we CrossFit guys? Are we track stars? Are we breakdancers? I thought we were called fighters. I understand this is not rock ’em, sock ’em robots where guys are gonna stand there and beat each other up. But there’s some type of technique to movement. There’s a movement to set up something.”
The worst offender for Green? The massive boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao earlier this month. Though Mayweather is a noted counter puncher and defensive specialist, the bout failed to live up to Green’s expectations as a blockbuster.
“That Mayweather fight has me sick,” Green said. “We’re gonna pay all this money to watch two guys have a sparring, dancing session? I don’t know what the heck happened. To pay that type of money is ridiculous. I’m gonna give these people [back] their hard-earned money. They came to see a fight, here I come. I promise you I’m not going anywhere. I’m standing in the middle of the cage. Move me if you can.”
The fight between Green (23-6) and Iaquinta (12-3-1) is pivotal in the UFC lightweight division. Iaquinta has won four in a row and is coming off a split decision victory over Jorge Masvidal last month. Green won eight straight before falling to Barboza.
But Green is not necessarily thinking about rankings or anything of that nature. The talented Pinnacle MMA product gets paid to fight and that’s all he desires — to put on a show.
“These guys all think they’re gonna get in there and do what they want to do and once they realize what I’m doing in there and what the games are and what I brought, they’re like, ‘Holy moly, I’m out of here. I’m gonna go and take a step back,'” Green said. “Look at Josh, Josh ran. Josh Thomson ran. Barboza ran. It’s constantly like I’m chasing these guys down. I’m not here to run marathons. Did you make me wait three to four months to do this? We came to do this?”
Green, 28, hopes Iaquinta complies, because he plans on going all out in San Diego.
“I come to go out on my shield, bro,” Green said. “If you’re gonna beat me, send me out on my shield. I would rather lose in an honorable way than go to decisions.”