Bobby Green: Reinvented, recreated, ahead of UFC 199
Bobby Green insists that, physically, he's felt good for awhile. "Through the whole camp," he told us, two days before his Saturday UFC 199 main card contest against Dustin Poirier.
Green hasn't fought in a year and a half because of back-to-back serious leg injuries requiring surgery. First, he tore a quad muscle in one leg. Then, he tore the ACL in his other leg.
Since entering camp to prepare for Poirier, Green has felt pretty close to right. "At the start of camp it started to feel better," he continued.
"I think we all have minor issues. We're never going to be 100%."
With the physical back to as good as he could expect, Green admitted that it took even longer for him to mentally start trusting that his body would hold up in training.
Bobby Green had to have faith that his badly injured legs had healed enough to resume hard training.
Often, especially with knee injuries, fighters' psychological confidence in their durability lags behind their bodies' physical and structural recovery. "Exactly," he said.
"You're worrying that you're going to turn the wrong way or that you can't plant this leg or that leg. It kind of makes you change your style because you're afraid of things getting re-injured."
Peace of mind did eventually return for the charismatic and exciting lightweight, though. Once it did, he was able to focus fully on improve and game-planning for the surging Poirier.
"I would say I'm improved, more refined," he said.
Green will never reject his unorthodox style but he has realized that it is worth his time to tighten certain elements of his game up.
"Sometimes it works for me, sometimes it works against me," he concluded.
"I've really been focusing on my craft, and improving my weaknesses."
Finally able to step foot into the arena, once more, Green is especially thrilled to be able to do so against someone like Poirier. The American Top Team stalwart brings a lot of momentum and attention with him into UFC 199.
If Green can beat Poirier, he'll immediately put the world on notice that he's still an elite fighter. "Yes sir, you hit it right on the head," he enthused.
"I'm excited to let everybody know I'm back â reinvented, recreated."
