Paddy Pimblett’s next fight this month will be against a new name, but the same opponent, after his rival made a legal change.
The popular Liverpool native is set to face Bobby Green on July 27 at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester. After a lengthy back-and-forth, the pair have been booked to do battle in the Brit’s homecoming at UFC 304.
Now, Pimblett will be facing the same opponent with a new name as his rival was able to have his name legally changed from Bobby Green to King Green. The bout is likely to leave its winner in the top 15, and would be the biggest win of the Brit’s career to date.
Paddy Pimblett’s UFC 304 opponent Bobby Green legally changes his name
Taking to Instagram last night, Bobby Green noted that he was officially changing his first name to his long-time nickname ‘King’. The highly-touted lightweight then noted that he wanted to inspire viewers watching with his new alias.
“I know I worked so hard at Bobby Green,” he wrote in the caption of his video. “But the point was to show u go from nothing to a King.” He filmed himself reading off details from his birth certificate as well as an official legal document making his name change legitimate.
“Look at this, Bobby Ray Green born in San Bernadino County at the Medical Center,” he can be heard saying in the video. “You know what I’m saying? That’s my birth certificate.
“Then we had to go and do this right here, see that name right there? Amended, my name is ‘King’ now. Just to let people know I wasn’t playing, I really changed my name.”
Paddy Pimblett brands Bobby Green a ‘mushroom’ as he reacts to name change ahead of UFC 304
After learning of his rival’s bold move, Paddy Pimblett took to Instagram to share his own reply to the development. “This mushroom has actually changed his name to ‘King’,” Pimblett wrote. “So yous can officially call me ‘King Slayer’ on July 28th.”
It’s not the first time that Pimblett has mocked Green, last month branding him a ‘w***er’ during a chat with The Mac Life. “Bobby Green is just a b******, he’s a proper tool,” Pimblett joked. “He’s a proper weapon. He is.
“The funniest one is, he says, ‘He mentioned me.’ I didn’t mention you! You mentioned me first. So then I mentioned you, you little sausage. I think he’s a proper s*** human being. He’s a proper w***er. Saying that I mentioned him first, he’s just lying. Why would I mention you? Why would I mention Bobby Green?”
Paddy Pimblett admits Bobby Green’s biggest strength ahead of UFC 304 clash
To Pimblett’s credit, he did note that his rival has a strong base in striking, particularly after watching his brutal and bloody showing against Jim Miller at UFC 300. In that same chat with The Mac Life, Pimblett admitted that the stand-up is where Green will be most difficult to handle.
But he questioned his rival’s chin, adding: “He’s got very good striking, but his chin is gone after what happened with Jalin Turner. Jim Miller is no knockout artist and he wobbled him once or twice in that fight at UFC 300.
“I think that is off Jalin Turner absolutely obliterating Bobby Green’s skull into the canvas. So as I said, his striking is very good, his takedown defence is good, and that’s what he’s going to try and do, use his takedown defence and keep it on the feet.
“Because he thinks he’ll out-strike me. But as I said, his chin’s gone. So strike with me, you’ll see what happens.”
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