UFC lightweight Bobby Green is happy to fill in for Beneil Dariush at UFC Vegas 49 after Dariush stepped up for him earlier in their careers.
Green is set to face rising lightweight contender Islam Makhachev in the UFC Vegas 49 main event. Green most recently earned a unanimous decision win over Nasrat Harparast just days ago at UFC 271.
Dariush pulled out of his originally scheduled main event bout with Makhachev after suffering an injury in his training camp. The UFC quickly moved to find a replacement, with Green raising his hand without hesitation.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Green sent Dariush a message after stepping up for him on short notice.
“Dariush filled in for me for a fight where I got hurt,” Green said. “So Dariush, heal up, get better, I got your back. You filled in for me, now I filled in for you. We’re even.”
Green is likely referring to when he and Dariush were supposed to square off at UFC 222 in 2018 before Green pulled out with an injury. Dariush would stay on the card and face Alexander Hernandez, suffering a first-round knockout.
Green has won back-to-back fights over Haqparast and former lightweight title challenger Al Iaquinta after suffering defeats to Rafael Fiziev and Thiago Moises. He made his UFC debut against Jacob Volkmann back at UFC 156.
Before suffering an injury, Dariush appeared to be on the verge of a title shot in the lightweight division. He has won seven straight including recent dominant wins over Tony Ferguson and Scott Holtzman.
It’s unclear how long Dariush will be sidelined as he recovers from his injury. But for now, Green is ready and willing to fill the void and help save the UFC Vegas 49 card.
What is your prediction for Bobby Green vs. Islam Makhachev?
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