It only took four straight victories inside the Octagon and eight total for Bobby Green to find himself occupying a co-main event slot as he did tonight (Sat., Nov. 22, 2014) in a battle against the always exciting Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 57: "Edgar vs. Swanson" in Austin, Texas on Fox Sports 1.
It was, in fact, exciting.
Green was fearless pushing forward, showing little respect for Barboza's punching power by keeping his hands low and taunting the Brazilian into engaging him. It worked too, as Barboza landed more significant strikes in the first round.
That hubris cost Green early into the second when he got caught with a hard punch and then knocked down with a spinning kick that electrified the live crowd. Barboza never quite jumped on the opportunity, staying at distance and allowing Bobby to recover.
That meant making the third round the decider.
Barboza landed a head kick early and followed up with punches that were finding their mark. Green stayed aggressive, moving forward and headhunting but he ran out of time to finish the job.
That early taunting proved cost-worthy.
Judges scorecards: 30-27 across the board, all in favor of Barboza.
For complete UFC Fight Night 57 results and coverage click here.