They say timing beats speed, but it also helps a lot if you’re faster and more agile than your opponent, as Bobby Green showed against Paulo Costa.
Lightweight veteran Green probably gave up 30 pounds on his middleweight sparring partner Costa, but his quickness carried the day in a playful sparring session Costa posted to his Instagram.
From the get-go, Costa plays the bull to Green’s matador as he presses the issue only to get popped by lightning-quick shots from his smaller opponent. Chatty as ever, Green provides a running commentary on his work and does his best to talk to Costa in his native Portguese, which sounds a lot more like Spanish.
Costa hopes to secure a new UFC deal that will give him a significant bump in pay after shooting down a UFC 284 booking against ex-champ Robert Whittaker. The one-time middleweight title challenger has one fight remaining on his current contract but believes he will be a free agent in March 2023 if the promotion doesn’t offer him a suitable deal.
Green is on the rebound after suffering a knockout loss to Drew Dober at UFC Vegas 66. It was his second straight setback after a TKO loss to current champ Islam Makhachev in a short-notice booking at UFC Vegas 49.
