UFC veteran Bobby Green delivered a pointed message about unity among Black athletes following his victory, calling on them to follow the lead of other ethnic groups who stand behind one another in combat sports.
Speaking in a post-bout interview, a visibly marked-up Green reflected on the complicated emotions surrounding his win over an athlete he considered a close friend.
“It ain’t too many Black figh ters as it is,” he said. “I’m trying to show him and teach them something like, ‘Bro, we’re supposed to stick together. The Irish figh ters do it, the Mexican figh ters do it, but us as Black folks, where we come from and what we’ve been through is just different.'”
The match itself was a war. Green absorbed heavy damage early, including a knee and a clean punch that left serious cuts on his face. Rather than panic, he leaned into his veteran instincts and began targeting the body. Methodical body kicks eventually created the opening he needed.
“I kept picking at him,” Green said. “I was hitting him with a deep kick, then I finally powered it up and got that one in there. Just kept picking at the body. You’re going to slow down, eat your body up and slow you down some.”
The liver sh0t dropped his opponent near the end of the round, and Green rushed to finish before the bell.
Green had tried to stop the match from happening at all. He described attempting to mentor Terrance in the weeks leading up to the bout, warning him about lifestyle choices that could derail a career.
“No smoking before matches, no gambling, no going out having fun and doing this stuff. When it comes down to it, get serious,” Green said, noting that those mistakes were cutting the athletes off from the top 15.
After the final bell, Green made peace with his opponent immediately.
“That’s my dawg,” he said. “I’m a Christian. We can forgive people. God got me, and the truth always wins. I want nothing but good things for him.”
