Bobby Green halted Terrance McKinney by first-round TKO at UFC 329, ending a matchup between former friends who once had a gentlemen’s agreement not to fight each other.
McKinney accepted the bout in order to get on the UFC 329 card, which was headlined by Conor McGregor. The fight was overseen by referee Kerry Hatley.
After the win, Green spoke about the personal dynamic behind the matchup. “I’m going to be real: There ain’t too many black fighters as it is,” Green said. “I’m trying to show him and teach him something like, ‘Bro, we’re supposed to stick together.’ Irish fighters do it. The Mexican fighters do it. But us as black folks, where we come from and what we’ve been through is just different. It is what it is.”
Green emphasized he still wishes McKinney well. “I want nothing but good things for him,” he said. “I’m sorry that we had to do this fight. I told you don’t take the fight, brother. That’s my little bro, and I didn’t want to do this sh*t. I didn’t want to shut his light out. He did everything right, but I’m unbreakable. My spirit don’t be broken.”
McKinney, now 18-9 with none of his 27 pro fights going to the judges’ scorecards, reacted to the finish and his performance. “Got me in liver, but the ref should have let it go to next round, only two seconds left,” he said. “I’m proud of the growth I had, wasn’t just tweaking, picked my shots. We’ll be back, congrats to Bobby.”
