King Green Pitches Dan Ige as Potential UFC Debut Opponent for Arnold Barboza Jr.
UFC fighter King Green sparred Arnold Barboza Jr. and he revealed how serious the boxer is about transitioning to MMA, Green even pitched an opponent for him.
UFC lightweight veteran Bobby "King" Green has trained with Arnold Barboza Jr. multiple times, and he just dropped some major insight on the professional boxer's upcoming transition to mixed martial arts. After sharing a high-profile crossover sparring session with the 33-1 light welterweight standout, Green confirmed that Barboza is dead serious about making a splash inside the Octagon.
The two combat sports veterans made waves online when footage surfaced of their session, where Barboza put his elite boxing on display before Green quickly dragged him to the canvas for a rapid submission. Since then, Barboza has gone all-in on rounding out his skill set, even putting in work alongside former UFC knockout artist Jeremy Stephens to refine his sprawling and clinch knees ahead of a four-month training trip to Thailand.
A Trial by Fire at 145
With Barboza targeting a run in the UFC featherweight division, the big question is who the boxer should face in his promotional debut. Leave it to Green to offer a spicy matchmaking recommendation.
Green revealed that he pitched UFC featherweight staple Dan Ige as an ideal target if Barboza wants a fan-favorite partner to test his striking against on the big stage.
"Arnold is serious, he wants to go to the UFC and is looking at all the fighters and going, 'Who can I fight?'" Green said. "I suggested Dan Ige and just stand up, but he wants it all."
Matching a debuting boxer against a hardened Octagon veteran like Ige, who holds a 19-12 professional MMA record and is renowned for his iron chin, would be a true baptism by fire. However, as Green noted, Barboza isn't seeking a protected path or gimme fights. He wants to test himself against full-fledged mixed martial artists in every phase of combat. Whether the UFC ultimately greenlights a matchup against a dangerous veteran like Ige remains to be seen, but Barboza's transition is already one of the most intriguing crossover stories in the sport.
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