Why is Bobby Green changing his name to 'King'? UFC fighter reveals wholesome reason in humble beginnings

Bobby Green has been a mainstay of the UFC lightweight division for almost a decade. The 37-year-old has a fan-favorite fighting style which has put him on the must-watch list of hardcore MMA fans.

But outside of the competitive sphere of MMA, Green is an interesting personality who has an inspiring back story that perfectly justifies his nickname 'King'.

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Why is Bobby Green changing his name to 'King'?

When Bobby Green entered the hallowed octagon for the last time at UFC Fight Night 222 on April 22, 2023, the always-entertaining fighter announced he was going to change his name to 'King' following his upcoming bout.

The name 'King' has been Green's nickname in the cage for many years, but he chose to change his name permanently for reasons you may not expect.

Ahead of his clash with Jared Gordon in April 2023, Green was interviewed by Charly Arnolt of ESPN MMA, where he explained the decision behind his name change.

"I come from a broken background where I didn't have a mother, didn't have a father, all those different things. Being in foster care. And letting people know that you can come from ground zero, having nothing, being homeless to building whatever it is that you're trying to build. Whatever you're trying to be, I don't want anybody to feel like they can't do it."

"If I did it with the circumstances I had, you can too. It's just about showing somebody that I'm a king, just like you. You're a king or a queen and I treat everybody like royalty..."

Watch the video below from 1:05:

Although he announced the decision several months back, Bobby Green does not seem to have changed his name officially as his name has appeared unchanged during the promotion of his upcoming fight.

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Bobby Green will look forward to getting back in the win column this weekend

After scoring impressive wins over Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson, Bobby Green hoped to finish 2023 with another win over the highly touted Jalin Turner. However, things did not go as planned and Green ended up on the wrong side of a horrible TKO stoppage.

He now intends to turn things around at the milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view event as he takes on fellow veteran fighter Jim Miller on the early preliminary card. It will be Miller's third appearance on the centennial UFC event as he competed in the UFC 100 as well as UFC 200 events.

UFC 300 will take place on April 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada and featured several current and former champions.