Bobby Green reveals the UFC paid for his brother’s funeral, says he will always be loyal to them
UFC lightweight Bobby Green reveals the UFC paid for the costs of his brother’s funeral and talks about his loyalty to the promotion.
Veteran UFC lightweight Bobby Green wants everyone to know that he’s just a normal person like everyone else. Heading into his UFC 271 fight against Nasrat Haqparast, Green spoke at media day and while he’s fought for the UFC 17 times in his career, things have not always been smooth sailing for him inside or outside the Octagon.
Although he’s had success in his career, especially recently, Green spoke on how he’s had to overcome adversity throughout his life and he wasn’t always able to enjoy a luxurious life. Pulling back the curtain on his life, Green discussed being homeless and broke at one point, and how being in the UFC has changed his life.
.@BobbyKGreen reveals the UFC paid for his brother's funeral costs. 🙏
"I'll always be loyal to them. Thank you Dana."#UFC271 | Full video: https://t.co/78nAN3IaZg pic.twitter.com/ImfreyxJcS
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 9, 2022
“A lot of people think that I’m some dude who’s got money and just cocky, nah, I was you. I was poor. I was homeless. I grew up with death, I done dealt with struggle and that’s what I’m really here for is to show people that I can be that same person like you. I can be depressed, I can be just like who has been through some struggles and can get up and change their whole life. You can change your stars, one day you can just put your head down and have a goal, hit your goal, and people will recognize and you might motivate somebody else. I really thank the UFC for doing that [for me].”
In discussing his loyalty to the UFC, Bobby Green would go on to reveal at media day that when his brother was murdered in 2014, it was the UFC and Dana White who paid for the funeral, since he could not do it himself.
“The one thing that I didn’t get to share, my brother that died, I didn’t have enough money to pay for his funeral, the UFC paid for that. That’s why I’m so loyal to them. They were doing things for me that no company ever did, they put up the money for my brother’s funeral, and they took care of that. I’ll always be loyal to them and thankful to them. Thank you Dana [White], thank you Sean [Shelby] for all the things you guys have done. I tell them all the time ‘You guys have no idea what you’ve done for me, you’ve changed my life.'”
Although fighter pay is a hot topic almost always around the sport of professional mixed martial arts, especially in the UFC, Green told the media he’s just thankful to be in the position he is.
“I know everybody gets it with like the pay, I’m just thankful to be here because every day I’m like man, I’m really here I came to Texas for free, I came to New York for free.’ I was just a broke little kid and I’ll never forget that and I’ll never act like I forgot. I ain’t forgot those homeless nights, I remember what it felt like when it’s 3 o’clock in the morning when that morning dew hit. I’ll never forget those things.”
Bobby Green has come a long way in his life and in his career with the UFC, and it’s refreshing for him to have words of encouragement for anyone who may watch him or the sport. Even more so, the UFC paying for the funeral of his brother is truly a classy gesture that should not go without recognition.
