King Green looked to halt the momentum of a rising star in the lightweight division in his first outing of 2025.
The 50-fight veteran is no stranger to being matched with 155-pound contenders that are looking to push their way up the rankings by beating him.
In one of his most impressive UFC performances, Green stopped Grant Dawson in the first round to prove that he’s still incredibly dangerous.
The narrative was revered in his trip to Manchester for UFC 304 last July where it was Green that was finished in the opening round by Paddy Pimblett.
In a second consecutive loss, Green was knocked out by Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 313 with the Brazilian producing a jaw dropping spinning wheel kick to get the main card underway.
King Green praises Mauricio Ruffy and says he’ll be back in post-fight video
Despite suffering one of the most devastating losses of his career, King Green showed his veteran status when being incredibly respectful after the fight.
He appeared to be in good spirits when leaving the Octagon and that approach was echoed in his first statement that he sent out via social media.
Green posted a video on his Instagram story where he gave Mauricio Ruffy credit, thanked the fans for their support and promised to be back in the near future.
After earning two huge wins and finishes over Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson, the 38-year-old has lost three of his last four via first-round finishes.
“This is the game we play. There’s wins, there’s losses, that’s just how it goes, you know? Shout out to Ruffy, you did your thing brother. I’d like to see you have success in your future, obrigado, and shout out to everybody that rocked with me and came through this whole thing.
“I love all you guys, thank you so much for supporting me through all this b——-, we’re not done. I feel like I just need some more time to get myself back used to being in the cage. We’ll be back.”
What’s next for Mauricio Ruffy?
Whilst King Green may not be in the rankings, he’s still right on the verge of having a number next to his name at 155-pounds having lost his spot after his loss to Paddy Pimblett.
With three wins in a row, Mauricio Ruffy has proven himself to be an incredibly exciting lightweight contender who deserves another big spotlight next.
Another lightweight contender on the rise also secured the biggest win of his career on the UFC 313 main card as Ignacio Bahamondes submitted Jalin Turner.
If neither man is going to get a ranked opponent next time out, having them clash would be a great matchup between two of the division’s new stars.