King Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King Green |
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|---|---|
| Born | Bobby Ray Green September 9, 1986 San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Division | Welterweight Lightweight Super Lightweight |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Fontana, California, U.S. |
| Team | Pinnacle MMA (2009–present) |
| Rank | Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Marcos "Loro" Galvão |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 50 |
| Wins | 32 |
| By knockout | 11 |
| By submission | 9 |
| By decision | 12 |
| Losses | 16 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 8 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
King Green (born Bobby Ray Green; September 9, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Green has been a professional fighter since 2008.
He is a former champion in the King of the Cage promotion, holding both the Lightweight and Junior Welterweight titles. He has also fought in other major organizations like Tachi Palace Fights, Strikeforce, and Affliction.
Contents
Early Life and Wrestling
Bobby Ray Green started wrestling when he was in his second year at A.B. Miller High School in Fontana, California. He was very good at wrestling, placing twice in the state tournament.
Green decided to become a professional mixed martial arts fighter while also working at a warehouse. He did this to help support his son.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Starting His Career
Green began his professional mixed martial arts journey in January 2008. He quickly built an impressive record of 8 wins and only 1 loss while fighting in smaller events.
His skills caught the eye of Affliction Entertainment, a bigger fighting organization. He fought on their second event, Affliction: Day of Reckoning. In this fight, he lost to Dan Lauzon by submission in the first round.
After this loss, Green joined the King of the Cage promotion and had a very successful period. On February 25, 2010, he won the King of the Cage Junior Welterweight Championship by defeating Ricky Legere. He successfully defended this title once before losing it to Tim Means. Later, on April 21, Green won another title, the King of the Cage Lightweight Championship, by beating Dom O'Grady.
Fighting in Strikeforce
In July 2011, Green signed a contract to fight for Strikeforce. His first fight was against Gesias Cavalcante at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson. It was a very close fight, but Green lost by a split decision.
His next fight was against Charon Spain. Green won this fight by submission in the second round. After this win, he had to take a break from fighting because of injuries to both of his hands.
Green was then scheduled to fight Isaac Vallie-Flagg, but Vallie-Flagg got injured. J. P. Reese stepped in to fight Green instead. Green won this fight by submission in the third round.
On May 19, 2012, Green faced James Terry at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier. He won the fight by a split decision. His next opponent was Matt Ricehouse on August 18, 2012, at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman. Green won this fight by a unanimous decision.
Joining the UFC
Green made his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 2, 2013, at UFC 156. He fought Jacob Volkmann and won by submission in the third round. This impressive win earned him the Submission of the Night award.
Green was supposed to fight Danny Castillo in July 2013, but he had to withdraw due to an injury.
He then faced James Krause on November 6, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 31. Green won the fight by TKO.
Green quickly returned to the octagon to replace an injured fighter and faced Pat Healy at UFC on Fox 9. He won this fight by unanimous decision.
Green was scheduled for several more fights that he had to withdraw from due to injuries, including bouts against Abel Trujillo and Jim Miller.
The fight with Trujillo was finally rescheduled for August 2, 2014. However, the event was cancelled. The fight was then moved to August 16, 2014. Green was later removed from this fight to face Josh Thomson instead. Green won against Thomson by split decision.
Green was set to fight Donald Cerrone in September 2014, but this fight was also changed.
He then faced Edson Barboza on November 22, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 57. Green lost this fight by unanimous decision.
Green had to withdraw from more fights in 2015 due to injuries, including against Jorge Masvidal and Al Iaquinta.
On June 4, 2016, Green fought Dustin Poirier at UFC 199. He lost the fight by knockout in the first round. He later withdrew from a fight against Josh Burkman due to personal reasons.
Green faced Rashid Magomedov on April 15, 2017, and lost by split decision.
His next fight was against Lando Vannata on October 7, 2017, at UFC 216. The fight ended in a split draw, meaning neither fighter won. This exciting fight earned them the Fight of the Night award.
Green won his next fight against Erik Koch on January 27, 2018, by unanimous decision. However, he later had to pull out of fights against Beneil Dariush and Clay Guida due to injuries.
He lost to Drakkar Klose by unanimous decision on December 15, 2018. After this fight, Green announced he was retiring.
Return to Fighting
After a short break, Green returned to fighting and faced Francisco Trinaldo on November 16, 2019. He lost this fight by unanimous decision.
Green then had a winning streak. He defeated Clay Guida on June 20, 2020, by unanimous decision. A rematch with Lando Vannata took place on August 1, 2020. Green won by unanimous decision, and this fight also earned him the Fight of the Night award.
He continued his winning streak by defeating Alan Patrick on September 12, 2020, by unanimous decision.
Green's winning streak ended when he lost to Thiago Moisés on October 31, 2020, by unanimous decision.
He was supposed to fight Jim Miller again in February 2021, but the fight was cancelled when Green became unwell after the weigh-ins.
Green faced Rafael Fiziev on August 7, 2021, and lost by unanimous decision. This fight was also awarded Fight of the Night.
On November 6, 2021, Green fought Al Iaquinta at UFC 268. Green won the fight by TKO in the first round, earning him the Performance of the Night award.
He then defeated Nasrat Haqparast by unanimous decision on February 12, 2022. Just two weeks later, Green stepped in to fight Islam Makhachev in the main event at UFC Fight Night 202. He lost this fight by TKO in the first round.
Green was scheduled to fight Jim Miller for a third time in July 2022, but he had to withdraw from the bout.
Green faced Drew Dober on December 17, 2022, and lost by knockout in the second round. This fight was also named Fight of the Night.
On April 22, 2023, Green fought Jared Gordon. Green won by knockout in the first round, but the result was later changed to a "no contest" because an accidental clash of heads happened during the fight.
Green fought Tony Ferguson at UFC 291 on July 29, 2023. He won the fight by technical submission, making Ferguson unconscious with an arm-triangle choke. This win earned him another Performance of the Night bonus.
He continued his success by defeating Grant Dawson on October 7, 2023, by knockout in the first round, earning him another Performance of the Night award.
Green was scheduled to face Dan Hooker in December 2023, but Hooker withdrew due to injury. Jalin Turner replaced him, and Green lost the fight by knockout in the first round.
Green faced Jim Miller for the fourth time on April 13, 2024, at UFC 300. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
His most recent fight was against Paddy Pimblett on July 27, 2024, at UFC 304. Green lost the fight by a triangle-choke submission in the first round.
Personal Life
King Green has three children. He announced that he would be changing his name from Bobby Green to King after his fight with Jared Gordon. On July 7, 2024, he officially confirmed his name change to "King Green".
Championships and Accomplishments
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Jacob Volkmann
- Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Al Iaquinta, Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson
- Fight of the Night (Four times) vs. Lando Vannata (two times), Rafael Fiziev and Drew Dober
- Most significant strikes in UFC Lightweight division history (1860)
- Fourth most significant strikes landed in UFC history (1869)
- Most total strikes landed in UFC Lightweight division history (2087)
- Tied (Rafael Dos Anjos) for sixth most bouts in UFC Lightweight division history (24)
- Sixth most total fight time in UFC Lightweight division history (4:42:31)
- Fifth most strikes landed-per-minute in UFC Lightweight division history (6.58)
- Second highest striking differential in UFC Lightweight division history (2.77)
- Second highest significant strike differential in a UFC Lightweight bout (+129) (vs. Jim Miller)
- Sixth most bouts in UFC Lightweight division history (25)
- Third highest significant strike differential in a UFC Lightweight bout (+112) (vs. Nasrat Haqparast)
- UFC.com Awards
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- 2013: Ranked #6 Import of the Year
- 2023: Ranked #3 Upset of the Year vs. Grant Dawson, Ranked #4 Upset of the Year vs. Tony Ferguson
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- King of the Cage
- KOTC Lightweight Championship (One time)
- KOTC Junior Welterweight Championship (One time)
- One successful title defense
- Total Fight Alliance
- TFA Lightweight Championship (One time)
- Warriors Fighting Championship
- WFC 2008 Lightweight Tournament Winner
- MMAjunkie.com
- 2017 October Fight of the Month vs. Lando Vannata
- 2020 August Fight of the Month vs. Lando Vannata
Amateur Wrestling
- California Interscholastic Federation
- CIF All-State (2003, 2004)
- CIF State Championship Sportsmanship Award (2004)
Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 50 matches | 32 wins | 16 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 5 |
| By submission | 9 | 3 |
| By decision | 12 | 8 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 32–16–1 (1) | Paddy Pimblett | Technical Submission (triangle choke) | UFC 304 | July 27, 2024 | 1 | 3:22 | Manchester, England | |
| Win | 32–15–1 (1) | Jim Miller | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 300 | April 13, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 31–15–1 (1) | Jalin Turner | KO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan | December 2, 2023 | 1 | 2:49 | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 31–14–1 (1) | Grant Dawson | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green | October 7, 2023 | 1 | 0:33 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 30–14–1 (1) | Tony Ferguson | Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC 291 | July 29, 2023 | 3 | 4:54 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| NC | 29–14–1 (1) | Jared Gordon | NC (accidental clash of heads) | UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes | April 22, 2023 | 1 | 4:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Accidental clash of heads led to Gordon being knocked unconscious. |
| Loss | 29–14–1 | Drew Dober | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland | December 17, 2022 | 2 | 2:45 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 29–13–1 | Islam Makhachev | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green | February 26, 2022 | 1 | 3:23 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (160 lb) bout. |
| Win | 29–12–1 | Nasrat Haqparast | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 271 | February 12, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 28–12–1 | Al Iaquinta | TKO (punches) | UFC 268 | November 6, 2021 | 1 | 2:25 | New York City, New York, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 27–12–1 | Rafael Fiziev | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 265 | August 7, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 27–11–1 | Thiago Moisés | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva | October 31, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 27–10–1 | Alan Patrick | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill | September 12, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 26–10–1 | Lando Vannata | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan | August 1, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 25–10–1 | Clay Guida | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov | June 20, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 24–10–1 | Francisco Trinaldo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Jacaré | November 16, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Loss | 24–9–1 | Drakkar Klose | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2 | December 15, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 24–8–1 | Erik Koch | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 | January 27, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | |
| Draw | 23–8–1 | Lando Vannata | Draw (split) | UFC 216 | October 7, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Vannata was deducted one point in round 1 due to an illegal knee. Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 23–8 | Rashid Magomedov | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis | April 15, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |
| Loss | 23–7 | Dustin Poirier | KO (punches) | UFC 199 | June 4, 2016 | 1 | 2:53 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Loss | 23–6 | Edson Barboza | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson | November 22, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 23–5 | Josh Thomson | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. Brown | July 26, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 22–5 | Pat Healy | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 | December 14, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Win | 21–5 | James Krause | TKO (body kick) | UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 | November 6, 2013 | 1 | 3:50 | Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States | |
| Win | 20–5 | Jacob Volkmann | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 156 | February 2, 2013 | 3 | 4:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 19–5 | Matt Ricehouse | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman | August 18, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Win | 18–5 | James Terry | Decision (split) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier | May 19, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 17–5 | J. P. Reese | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. Sayers | November 18, 2011 | 3 | 2:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 16–5 | Charon Spain | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Strikeforce Challengers: Larkin vs. Rossborough | September 23, 2011 | 2 | 2:54 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 15–5 | Gesias Cavalcante | Decision (split) | Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson | July 30, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 15–4 | Dom O'Grady | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: Moral Victory | April 21, 2011 | 5 | 5:00 | Highland, California, United States | Won the KOTC Lightweight Championship. |
| Loss | 14–4 | Tim Means | TKO (retirement) | KOTC: Inferno | October 7, 2010 | 2 | 5:00 | Highland, California, United States | Lost the KOTC Light Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 14–3 | Daron Cruickshank | Submission (guillotine choke) | KOTC: Imminent Danger | August 13, 2010 | 2 | 2:39 | Mescalero, New Mexico, United States | Defended the KOTC Light Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 13–3 | Ricky Legere | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Arrival | February 25, 2010 | 1 | 4:27 | Highland, California, United States | Won the KOTC Light Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 12–3 | Charles Bennett | KO (punches) | KOTC: Fight 4 Hope | December 17, 2009 | 1 | 2:17 | Highland, California, United States | |
| Loss | 11–3 | David Mitchell | Submission (toe hold) | Tachi Palace Fights 2 | December 3, 2009 | 1 | 0:54 | Lemoore, California, United States | Welterweight bout. |
| Win | 11–2 | Sevak Magakian | TKO (punches) | Respect in the Cage 2 | November 20, 2009 | 1 | 2:24 | Pomona, California, United States | |
| Win | 10–2 | Jeff Torch | TKO (submission to punches) | KOTC: Jolted | October 3, 2009 | 1 | 1:29 | Laughlin, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 9–2 | John Ulloa | Submission (armbar) | KOTC: Immortal | February 27, 2009 | 1 | N/A | San Bernardino, California, United States | |
| Loss | 8–2 | Dan Lauzon | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Affliction: Day of Reckoning | January 24, 2009 | 1 | 4:55 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 8–1 | Toby Grear | TKO (punches) | Total Fighting Alliance 11 | July 12, 2008 | 2 | 3:25 | Long Beach, California, United States | Won the TFA Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–1 | Rafael Salomao | TKO (punches) | Warriors Fighting Championship | June 28, 2008 | 1 | 4:10 | Mexico City, Mexico | Won the WFC Lightweight Tournament. |
| Win | 6–1 | Israel Giron | KO (punches) | 1 | 2:47 | WFC Lightweight Tournament Semifinal. | |||
| Win | 5–1 | Santiago Manzanares | Decision (split) | 3 | 3:00 | WFC Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal. | |||
| Win | 4–1 | Raymond Ayala | Submission (guillotine choke) | Total Fighting Alliance 10 | March 22, 2008 | 2 | 1:59 | Santa Monica, California, United States | Return to Lightweight. |
| Win | 3–1 | Herman Terrado | Submission (guillotine choke) | COF 11: No Mercy | March 8, 2008 | 3 | 1:28 | Tijuana, Mexico | Welterweight debut. |
| Loss | 2–1 | Josh Gaskins | Decision (unanimous) | Valor Fighting: Fight Night | March 7, 2008 | 3 | 3:00 | Tustin, California, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Henry Briones | Submission (guillotine choke) | UCM 5: Deadly Zone | February 23, 2008 | 1 | 0:48 | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| Win | 1–0 | Neal Abrams | KO (punches) | Total Fighting Alliance 9 | January 19, 2008 | 3 | 1:12 | Santa Monica, California, United States |
See also
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
