AUSTIN, Texas – Bobby Green isn’t convinced Paddy Pimblett actually wants the smoke.
The longtime UFC lightweight somewhat brushed off Pimblett’s callout to fight. Bobby Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) didn’t say no, but he also doubts Pimblett actually wants to fight him.
“There’s no way he called me out,” Green said at Wednesday’s media day for UFC on ESPN 52. “Paddy know that’s a bad fight for him. He don’t want that. He’s just talking. He’s just talking, OK?
“Until he starts walking, get through Tony (Ferguson), and we’ll talk. We’ll talk after that. But Paddy don’t want that. It would be a bad fight for him.”
Green returns to the cage Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 52 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. He takes on Jalin Turner (13-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who replaced an injured Dan Hooker with just two weeks’ notice. Pimblett is booked to fight Ferguson at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.
Even though Ferguson is on a six-fight losing skid, including four by stoppage, Green thinks “El Cucuy” can get the job done against Pimblett.
“I feel like Tony’s going to probably pull something close to the third – closer to that second, third round,” Green said. “He pushes a good pace. He comes really hard and takes good shots, so if Paddy doesn’t get him on the ground and tries to do some jiu-jitsu, I see Tony getting him. Tony hits pretty goo too.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.
Bobby Green responds to Paddy Pimblett’s callout: If you get through TFerguson, maybe we’ll talk